(Source Quora)
India, undefeated so far in the current T20 World Cup, are poised to face defending champions England in the upcoming second semi-final on Thursday. However, there is a possibility that Jos Buttler and his team might return to the UK without playing another match in this tournament. This uncertainty stems from the game’s scheduling and the unpredictable weather conditions.
The clash between India and England is scheduled to take place at the Providence Stadium in Bridgetown, Guyana. Given that Guyana is currently in its rainy season, there is a significant threat of rain affecting the second semi-final. In contrast to the first semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan, which has a reserve day allocated, the India vs England match does not have such a provision. The ICC has allowed a buffer of 250 minutes, but if this isn’t enough to complete the match, India would advance to the finals based on their higher standing in the Super Eight group compared to England.
This disparity in scheduling has sparked criticism from English and Australian media, who have begun to criticize the ICC, alleging bias towards India and their fanbase.
UK’s Daily Mail reported ICC is “over-reliant on a single mass market that matters of organisational integrity come a distant second”.
“The reason for this discrepancy boils down to the need to maximise the TV audience in South Asia. India have been billeted for the Guyana semi-final ever since the World Cup schedule was drawn up – a pre-arrangement not afforded any other team in the competition,” the report stated.
Another media source, inews.co.uk, alleged that the international governing body provided India with ‘special treatment’ to maximize television viewership in South Asia.
“The ICC were under pressure to maximise the TV audience for their semi-final given their Indian broadcast deal with Disney Star is worth more than £1billion per year. The pressure exerted on the ICC by the BCCI can be crushing,” the report said.
In the meantime, Australian media took aim at the ICC, accusing them of showing favoritism towards India. Mitch Marsh’s Australian team exited the tournament following defeats to Afghanistan and India in the Super 8 stage. India finished atop the group standings, while Afghanistan secured the second position with two wins out of three matches.
“How mind-bending schedule stitched up Aussies, pampered India,” read the headline of an article in the Herald Sun. It talked about how Australia had different match timings in the Super Eight while all of India’s matches had a morning start.
