ICC gives update on T20 World Cup schedule after coronavirus outbreak

The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Tuesday (March 17) that the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia will "go ahead as scheduled" despite the recent outbreak of the coronavirus across the globe.

The ICC T20 World Cup 2020 has a scheduled start from October 18 till November 15 across seven iconic venues in Australia.

"In response to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 Local Organising Committee is monitoring the situation closely with relevant authorities, and will continue to do so," ICC said in a statement.

"The ICC Men's T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place from 18 October - 15 November 2020 in seven venues across Australia. We are planning for the event to go ahead as scheduled," the statement added.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday (March 13) declared that the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic has moved from China, where new cases reported have drastically decreased, to Europe, where most countries are seeing a climb in infections and fatalities.

The rapid spread of coronavirus worldwide has started seeing its serious impacts. With over 114 cases in India only, many sporting events have either been canceled or postponed.

The global infected count stands at over 160,000 with the death toll because of the virus has gone beyond 6,000 internationally.

All major football competitions like La Liga, Premier League, Champions League, Ligue 1, and Serie A have been suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak too.