ICC T20 WC: 100 per cent attendance approved for final in Dubai

By Baidurjo Bhose
Dubai [UAE], November 9 : The final of the ICC T20 World Cup will see all the 25,000 seats at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium available for the fans to fill as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) has got permission to have capacity crowd at the stadium on the night of the final -- November 14.
Speaking to ANI, sources in the know of developments in the BCCI said the Indian board and the ECB had sought permission from the UAE authorities to allow 100 per cent attendance for the final and the same has been granted.
"The BCCI and the ECB was keen to have capacity crowd for the final. Permission for the same has been granted, but all COVID-19 protocols have to be followed. The boards had sought permission from the authorities and the approval has come. The ICC has done a brilliant job in ensuring all protocols are in place and we will all continue to work together to ensure the showpiece event finishes on a high," the BCCI source said.
While the event has been organised well, Team India didn't have the best of journey and failed to make the cut for the semi-finals. In fact, it also meant that Virat Kohli's journey as T20I captain and Ravi Shastri's journey as India coach ended on a sad note.
But Shastri said he is proud to have seen the players perform well throughout his tenure and believes this is one of the best teams in world cricket.
"Very emotional because I've been part of this team for seven years. They're a great side. I'm telling you, I don't say that too often. It's one of the great sides to have played cricket at the highest level in the history of the game, when you look all around. So let's not take anything away from that," he said on Monday after India's final group game against Namibia.
"For me to be part of that journey with the boys and for the boys to respond and raise the bar in that fashion leaves you going from the dressing room emotional but a very proud man," he reflected.
The former cricketer also said India will continue to have a strong team in the shortest format of the game. He said, "As far as the T20 team goes, I think we'll always have a strong team. We might not have won this World Cup, but I think going forward we'll continue to have a strong team because the IPL throws a lot of young players into the mix. KL Rahul will have his own ideas on how to take this team forward, and I see it still being a very good team."