India vs Pakistan during T20 World Cup 2026 (Source: AFP)
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday acknowledged the current Middle East tensions, where Israel attacked Iran’s capital during broad daylight with the help of the United States of America (USA). With the T20 World Cup going on in India and Sri Lanka, the ICC confirmed that the governing body has been closely monitoring the current situation.
Even though there is no direct connection between the current most-talked-about news and the T20 World Cup 2026, Dubai, a hub of many, where Iran attacked earlier today, along with Doha, Abu Dhabi, and many other places, has been one of the key transit points for teams travelling to the tournament.
"The International Cricket Council (ICC) is closely monitoring the evolving situation in the Middle East and has activated comprehensive contingency plans to safeguard the travel, logistics and well-being of all stakeholders associated with the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, currently underway in India and Sri Lanka," the ICC said in a statement.
"While the crisis in the Middle East has no direct bearing on the conduct of the tournament, the ICC acknowledges that a significant number of personnel - including players, team management, match officials, broadcast teams, and event staff - rely on Gulf hub airports, particularly Dubai (DXB), as key transit points for onward travel to their home countries upon concluding their commitments at the event."
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T20 World Cup Likely To Happen As Scheduled
However, there is little doubt that the T20 World Cup 2026 will be completed as scheduled. Still, given the fact that the situation is not normal at the moment, the ICC had no choice but to provide an update amidst current events.
“The safety and well-being of every individual connected to our event is the ICC’s highest priority. We have already mobilised our travel, logistics and security teams, and are working around the clock to ensure that all stakeholders can return home safely, with minimal disruption," an ICC spokesperson said in a statement.
"We would also urge fans who have travelled or were planning to travel for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 to monitor closely and adhere to advisories being issued and consider all factors before undertaking any further international travel.”
ICC Confirms To Give Update If Middle East Condition Worsens
Furthermore, the ICC assured that it will provide an update if the condition worsens. Still, there is little chance it will affect the ongoing T20 World Cup, which has only six games left: three Super 8 matches, two semi-finals and the final. The tournament will end on March 8.
Of the five remaining fixtures, three face-offs are confirmed: Pakistan versus Sri Lanka, South Africa versus Zimbabwe, and India versus West Indies. Considering the results, the semi-final match-ups will be confirmed. The knockouts will take place on March 4, March 5 and March 8, respectively.
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