New Delhi: Oman Cricket chairman Pankaj Khimji has described co-hosting the upcoming T20 World Cup in October as not only a watershed moment for the sport but for the entire nation.
The T20 World Cup will be played from October 17 to November 14 in United Arab Emirates and Oman. 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. 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 told PTI in an interaction when asked what hosting the World Cup means.
According to Khimji, arrangements are being made to accommodate 3,000 spectators.
“Oman has a beautiful green ground. Now, we are making arrangements for about 3,000 spectators, 500 out of those will be in the corporate boxes. We are also preparing a beautiful press-box and a beautiful media centre and TV production area. It is super learning for us,” he quipped.
Khimji also said this wasn’t a normal World Cup as it is happening in COVID-19 times.
“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. Right now, we are grappling with all these protocols, security…. It is a great challenge, but it’s great fun,” he said. Khimji stressed that Oman government and the ICC along with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have extended support to the cricket board.
–PTI

Press Trust of India