"IPL can survive without crowds, not T20 World Cup"

Melbourne: Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell feels a rescheduled Indian Premier League (IPL) can be conducted behind closed doors but it won't be easy to have a T20 World Cup without fans.

"... it's going to be hard for us to have crowds. I think if IPL goes ahead they can probably survive without any crowds, but I can't see the T20 World Cup surviving without any people there," Maxwell told ABC Grandstand.

Also Read: IPL suspended till April 15 over Coronavirus outbreak, BCCI likely to change format

"It's going to be hard for us to justify having a World Cup when we can't get people into the grounds. So I can't see it happening in the near future. We've got to take care of everyone''s health and wellbeing."

The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly has admitted that the chances of the 2020 season of the IPL starting any time soon is bleak.

With the number of coronavirus infections and deaths continuing to rise, a number of states around the country have extended the lockdown which was initially supposed to end on April 15 -- the same date that IPL 2020 was postponed after the BCCI deemed that it would not be possible to start on March 29.

The T20 World Cup, on the other hand, is scheduled to be held in Australia in October-November.

Also Read: Coronavirus Hits Cricket Events: IPL Postponed, SA vs IND ODIs Cancelled

(IANS)