This year’s Global T20 (GT20) Canada will be played in Malaysia between June – July, 2021. With the travel and health restrictions currently in place, there was considerable uncertainty as to whether this year’s tournament could be held in Canada in June –July as scheduled, hence the decision to have it moved to Malaysia. The tournament will return to Canada next year for its 2022 4th Season.
Commenting on the decision to have Malaysia host the 2021 Gt20 3rd Season, which was made jointly by Cricket Canada, the Malaysian Cricket Association and the Tournament’s owners Bombay Sports, Cricket Canada President Rashpal Bajwa said: “Cricketers and fans of cricket within Canada will naturally be disappointed that this year’s third edition of our world class Gt20 tournament cannot be held in Canada due to the ongoing COVID pandemic and the Canadian health guidelines. Cricket Canada, however, understands and fully supports our health authorities. We are also very positive in looking forward to hosting the tournament in Canada, once the pandemic is sufficiently ended and the safety of all concerned can be assured. In the interim we are now very excited to share with all Canadians and cricket lovers across the world that our good friends at the Malaysian Cricket Association have stepped up to help us host this year’s GT20 Season 3 in Malaysia with the necessary local health approvals. We are looking forward to a very exciting Third edition of GT20 Canada in Malaysia!”
Owned and managed by Bombay Sports Co, Ltd. GT20 is currently North America’s only annual professional tournament. The GT20 League features six teams each composed of ten international cricketers from ICC full and associate member nations and including two world renowned marquee players. Each of the six participating 2021 GT20 teams will also include three Canadian national team members and an identical number of Canadian emerging cricketers. There will also be one Malaysian national player on each team.
The Malaysia hosted 2021 GT20 3rd Season will consist of twenty-two matches played over eighteen days. All twenty-two matches will be played at the Kinrara Oval in Malaysia’s capital city Kuala Lumpur.
GT20’s first two Seasons played in Toronto during the 2018 and 2019 summer months attracted some of global cricket’s very best T20 players. Chris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh. Lasith Malinga, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, David Warner, Steve Smith, Brendon McCullum, Thisara Perera, Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine were among the many world renowned T20 players who participated in GT20’s first two seasons.
With an estimated global fan base of well over 1 billion, cricket is one of the world’s most popular and multicultural sports. As one of its annual world class tournaments, GT20 has to date enjoyed unprecedented global reach. GT20’s 2021 Season 3 will certainly receive an electrifying welcome from cricket fans all over the world.