Pankaj Khimji, Oman Cricket Chairman, on Tuesday, said that co-hosting the upcoming T20 World Cup in October is not only a watershed moment for the sport on COVID-19 times but is also for the entire nation. Citing the coronavirus pandemic, Khimji said that this isn’t a normal World Cup.

“We will have to put in a bio-security protocol, this is not your normal World Cup, let’s put it this way. This is a World Cup during the times of COVID, it is a different kind of World Cup,” news agency PTI quoted Khimji as saying.

“Right now, we are grappling with all these protocols, security…. It is a great challenge, but it’s great fun,” he added.

Khimji said that the Oman government and the ICC along with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have extended support to the cricket board.

The matches in Oman will be played at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground in Muscat.

“We are now showcasing not (only) Oman cricket, we are showcasing Oman to the globe, world and if we go by what we expect, this could be the third-largest televised event in history after the football world cup and the Olympics that happened in Japan,” the Oman cricket chairman said.

“This is the best way for Oman to showcase itself as the world’s best-kept tourism secret. People hardly know much about Oman and this would be our chance to kind of showcase Oman to the rest of the world,” Khimji said.

Khimji said that Oman has green ground and they are making arrangements for about 3,000 spectators, out of which 500 will be corporate boxes. Oman will also be preparing a press-box, media centre and TV production area

“BCCI is the host. We are into a tripartite agreement and the Oman government is our patron. So, the Oman government, right from the highest authority of the land, they bent backwards and left no stone unturned.

He lauded the International Cricket Council (ICC) for supporting and extending them.

The T20 World Cup will be played from October 17 to November 14 in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.