The Independent Voice of West Indies Cricket

ICC threatens to shift 2021 T20 World Cup from India over tax issues

Wed, May 27, '20

 

Media Watch

The ICC has told the BCCI that it reserves the right to take away the 2021 men's T20 World Cup from India, after the BCCI failed to secure a tax exemption for the tournament from the Indian government.

In a flurry of blunt e-mails over the past two months, seen by ESPNcricinfo, the ICC told the BCCI it had to provide an "unconditional confirmation" by May 18 this year that a solution had been found to a longstanding issue in coordination with the Indian government. For its part, the BCCI wanted the deadline extended at least until June 30, citing the Covid-19 pandemic as reason for invoking the force majeure clause [unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract] in the agreement. The ICC has rejected the request.

"In light of the BCCI's notification of force majeure, we would highlight the obligation on the BCCI… of the Host Agreement and that IBC (ICC Business Corporation) is entitled to terminate the agreement with immediate effect at any time from 18 May 2020," Jonathan Hall, the ICC's general counsel, wrote to the BCCI on April 29.

Read more at ESPNcricinfo