ICC Threatens to Shift 2021 T20 World Cup from India Over Tax Exemption Delays, BCCI Denies Claim

The International Cricket Council has threatened to shift the 2021 T20 World Cup from India, citing the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s failure to meet the deadline for securing tax exemption for the ICC from the Indian government.

According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, the ICC and BCCI have been exchanging E-Mails, with the former threatening to terminate the contract award hosting rights to India for the 2021 tournament.

“In light of the BCCI’s notification of force majeure, we would highlight the obligation on the BCCI set out in clause 20.1 a of the Host Agreement and that IBC (ICC Business Corporation) is entitled to terminate the agreement with immediate effect at any time from 18 May 2020,” Jonathan Hall, the ICC’s general counsel, wrote to the BCCI.

The BCCI had notified the ICC of force majeure, pointing to unforseen circumstances arising out of the COVID-19 situation in the country. The board had requested for the deadline to be extended till June 20 or 30 days after the lockdown, whichever is later.

The ICC, however, did not agree to the request saying the board had ‘many years’ to arrange the tax solution.

“In the meantime, all of IBC’s rights are reserved in full including the right to challenge whether or not a valid force majeure exists,” Hall wrote.

According to the report, Hall reminded BCCI that the IBC board, in a meeting in February 2018, had granted BCCI time till December 31, 2019 to find a solution.

With the BCCI ‘failing’ to meet the deadline, they were given an extension till April 17 this year. However, the BCCI has sought for a further extension due to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown.

The board has also argued that there was no relevance to the December 31 deadline, while also pointing to multiple efforts by them to procure a tax solution from the government of India.

“BCCI has been making efforts to procure a tax solution from the Government over a period of time. These efforts were ongoing at the time when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic and have been interrupted by the significant restrictions imposed by the Government of India,” the BCCI wrote.