Amid a massive surge in COVID-19 cases in India, ICC’s (International Cricket Council) interim CEO Geoff Allardice on Wednesday said that the body has a backup plan for the T20 World Cup in India scheduled for later this year. However, it is presently going ahead with the event as planned, reported PTI.

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“We are certainly proceeding with the event as planned,” Allardice said on Wednesday at a virtual media round-table.

“Plan B we have, but we haven’t activated those plans yet,” he said, adding that ICC was working with the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and the backup plans could be “activated if the time comes.”

The T20 World Cup will be played in India in October-November. The country is witnessing a massive surge in COVID-19, with about 100,000 cases being reported daily. 

Allardice said the ICC was in contact with other sports bodies to understand how they are managing during the pandemic.

According to PTI, the UAE (United Arab Emirates) could be one of the backup venues.

“Cricket is being played in a number of countries at the moment and we are learning from all of them,” the ICC chief said.

“We have been talking to other sports bodies about what they are doing, we are in a good shape at the moment but acknowledge that the world is changing at a rapid rate,” he added.

On the upcoming World Test Championship final, scheduled for June, Allardice said that the ICC was proceeding ahead as planned.

On the pandemic’s impact on women’s cricket, the ICC chief said, “Last 3-4 years the momentum we built around international cricket is fantastic. The final (between India and Australia) (at a packed) MCG was a special moment.”

“Then COVID hit and made life very difficult to reestablish it. That will be the focus in the next 12 months,” he added.