Oman has emerged as a potential co-host of the upcoming T20 World Cup alongside the UAE. According to a Cricbuzz report, Oman Cricket officials, including its head Pankaj Khimji, have had a meeting with the officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Dubai recently. One of the options on the table is to hold the first-round matches in the capital city of Muscat, with Oman featuring as one of the sides in the 16-team tournament. However, everything is currently very tentative.
Oman has two grounds, both recognized by the ICC. In fact, the Oman Cricket Academy Ground 1 was confirmed for use as a Test venue and it was scheduled to host a Test between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe earlier this year, but the match could not be staged because of Zimbabwe's refusal to travel. While the UAE was always the first back-up option, Oman's capital Muscat has been added as the fourth venue, apart from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, for the tournament. Both IPL and PSL were suspended midway through the season after coronavirus breached their bio-secure bubbles with several players and match officials beginning to test positive. However, the organisers of both the leagues have managed to find a window and venue to hold the remaining matches in UAE. Last month, BCCI had announced that the remaining season of IPL 2021 will be conducted in UAE due to the monsoon season in India in September-October.
