Michael Vaughan and Adam Gilchrist Blasts ICC, Says T20 World Cup Unfairly Favours India

June 29, 2024 0 819

Michael Vaughan criticized the scheduling of the 2024 T20 World Cup, alleging it favored India and calling for fairer treatment in future tournaments.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has reignited the debate surrounding the scheduling of the 2024 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies. Vaughan allegedly said that the schedule was designed to benefit the Indian team.

Vaughan criticised the fact that India played all their matches in the morning, coinciding with prime-time viewership in India. He further pointed out that the team knew in advance they would play their semifinal in Guyana, regardless of their final position on the points table.

“They [India] get to play whenever they want. They get to know exactly where their semifinal will be. They play every single game in the morning so people can watch them at night in India,” Vaughan said on the Club Prairie Fire podcast.

While acknowledging the importance of the Indian market, Vaughan argued that a global tournament like the World Cup should prioritise fairness for all participants. “You would think that when you get to a World Cup, the ICC should be a little fairer to everybody,” he stated.

Vaughan’s criticism found support from former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who participated in the same podcast discussion. Gilchrist conceded that India had been the most consistent team throughout the tournament but expressed concern that the scheduling might have compromised the overall fairness of the competition.

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“There are a lot of passionate Indian fans that are very much aware of that as well,” Gilchrist said, highlighting that some Indian supporters recognise the potential bias.

Vaughan’s comments raised questions about scheduling impartiality in future ICC tournaments. However, both Gilchrist and Vaughan’s comments were solely based on their thinking and held no solid ground of evidence.

Nevertheless, the final showdown at Barbados is underway as both India and South Africa gear up for the last day on June 29th.