Sri Lanka fans at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo cheer as Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by five wickets in the World Cup semi-final on 29 March 2011, the last time the country hosted a match of a major ICC global event. (Files)[/caption]
ICC GLOBAL EVENTS 2021-2031
World Cup - 2023 (in India), 2027, 2031
T20 World Cup - 2021 (hosts India/tournament held in UAE and Oman), 2022 (Australia), 2024, 2026, 2028, 2030
Champions Trophy - 2025, 2029
According to the remainder of the ICC schedule for the next decade, from 2021 to 2031, three (50-over) World Cups are scheduled for 2023 (already set to be held in India), 2027, and 2031.
In the meantime, six editions of the biennial T20 World Cup is already planned for the 11-year period: 2021 (hosts India, yet the tournament is held in the United Arab Emirates - UAE - and Oman due to Covid-19 situation prevailing in India), 2022 (in Australia), 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030.
PCB bid for six out of eight events
The above details indicate that the ICC is yet to finalise on the hosts for two (50-over) World Cups (2027 and 2031) and four T20 World Cups (2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030).
In addition, there will be at least two ‘mini World Cups’ or Champions Trophy 50-over competitions scheduled for 2025 and 2029.
Reports had emerged as far back as last July that the PCB had wanted to host two of the four T20 World Cups in the UAE by joining hand with the Emirates Cricket Board.
Overall, Pakistan had reportedly bid to host at least six of the above eight global events (two World Cups + four T20 World Cup + two Champions Trophy tournaments).
Joining SLC for two World Cup
The PCB’s bidding will though be in confrontation with the possible simultaneous bidding by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“PCB is planning to host the 2027 and 2031 World Cups with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh while it wants to stage two T20 World Cups along with UAE. PCB also desires to host the 2025 and 2029 Champions Trophies,” remembered the Inside Sports in July.
Possibility of winning 2027 bid
It further added: “It will not be easy for PCB to win the bid as the BCCI also wants to host the 2025 Champions Trophy, 2028 T20 World Cup, and the 2031 World Cup.”
This may be an indication that Sri Lanka may be able to co-host the 2027 World Cup and, if so, it will be the first time Sri Lanka is to either host or co-host a global flagship event after 2011, when they co-hosted the 10th 50-over World Cup with India and Bangladesh.
Our effort to get the views and updates, on the PCB’s joint bidding for the 2027 and 2031 World Cups, from SLC proved futile on Saturday (2).
No global event for 25 years
In the last 25 years, Pakistan has not hosted at least a single global championship with the last ICC event which they held being the 1996 World Cup, which Sri Lanka won.
In 1996, the PCB was in collaboration with BCCI and SLC and the consortium was then called PILCOM or the ‘Pakistan India Lanka Committee’.
Pakistan was also part of the South Asian group of BCCI, BCB, and SLC for hosting the 2011 (50-over) World Cup but its matches were later switched to other venues, reportedly for security reasons.