Anshuman Gaekwad: T20 World Cup may not be held this year

Cricket will not be the same after the pandemic and players have to be mentally strong to adapt, says the BCCI apex council member.

Anshuman Gaekwad (right) with Sourav Ganguly at the Sportstar Aces awards in January, 2020.

BCCI apex council member Anshuman Gaekwad on Wednesday said the T20 World Cup may not be held this year.

Gaekwad said cricketers will have to gather all their mental strength to deal with the uncertainty that the pandemic has caused.

“I have my doubts that T20 WC will be held this year. About IPL, we cannot think of just now. It will depend on Indian conditions and the window is only during this T20 WC which is October-November,” Gaekwad told PTI-Bhasha .

“If the World Cup gets cancelled or postponed, then only IPL can happen but then also it depends on what the conditions are in India,” he said.

'New type of cricket'

Gaekwad felt that it will be a completely new life once the virus is tamed and players have to be mentally strong to adapt. “Cricket is not going to be the same, the approach would be different. There will be no crowd in the stadiums. Cricketers are not used to play in empty stadiums. It will be one very difficult aspect of playing new type of cricket,” Gaekwad said.

Gaekwad also said cricket might resume after at least four months. “It may take another two months or four months or more to resume cricket. It is not theory that you can read and write. You have to perform so nothing is going to be easy,” he said.

“If you are not mentally strong, it will not be easy,” he added.