Josh Hazlewood ruffled some feathers when he mentioned the potential for Australia doing their bit to nudge England out of the competitors. He agreed to a query that it was in Australia’s greatest pursuits to maybe prop up Scotland’s probabilities and precipitate an early exit for Jos Buttler and Co. However issues in Group B concluded with the 2 powerhouses ending first and second.
Australia received all 4 of their matches with a wholesome web run price of two.791. Usually in any international event, that might imply some benefit. However not on the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2024. Australia, who completed prime of Group B, had been pre-determined to satisfy India, who completed prime of Group A, within the Tremendous 8 stage. Why? As a result of India had been pre-seeded as A1 and Australia as B2 for Tremendous 8s, no matter whether or not they completed first or second within the group.
“I believe there’s a giant query to be requested in regards to the pre-seeding. I’m undecided I’m a fan of that,” Australian pacer Mitchell Starc stated after the win towards Scotland.
He raised one in all many necessary questions in regards to the format and scheduling in place for the 2024 version. Lack of transparency surrounding the draw, a schedule that provides India a good few favours and a construction that actively discourages any shock or intrigue are among the faultlines working via this World Cup in USA and West Indies.
Opaque group stage attracts
First issues first, the ICC continues to be opaque with their “attracts” for the World Cups. It doesn’t matter which format, India and Pakistan find yourself taking part in one another within the opening spherical. One has to go all the best way again to the 2012 T20 World Cup for a significant ICC occasion the place India and Pakistan weren’t pre-drawn to be assured a face-off.
Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam, proper, and India’s captain Rohit Sharma stroll into the sphere earlier than the beginning of the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan on the Nassau County Worldwide Cricket Stadium in Westbury, New York. (AP | PTI)
There may be little data on how these attracts happen, they’re simply introduced. Think about a soccer World Cup the place Argentina and Brazil are “drawn” to face one another at all times within the opening phases as a result of it’s assured to attract eyeballs. Of late, Australia vs England and Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh video games too are on ICC’s ‘must-play’ record.
Weird pre-seeding
As talked about above, the group-stage matches had been designed to have barely any impression on the Tremendous 8 stage that begins on Wednesday. Group 1 was to be: A1, B2, C1, D2 and Group 2 was A2, B1, C2, D1 – the place 1 & 2 will not be based mostly on the place the groups completed however on seedings that had been pre-fixed.
If Afghanistan find yourself topping Group C, the primary Tremendous 8 group will characteristic three group toppers whereas the opposite could have three groups that completed second.
The truth that USA, Afghanistan and Bangladesh defied the seedings to make it to the Tremendous 8 ended up including some intrigue to the second stage. However an enchanting match like Afghanistan vs West Indies has completely no bearing on the place they’re prone to find yourself within the subsequent stage, stripping the event of any jeopardy. For all of the discuss of Australia doubtlessly dealing with a probe and sanction in the event that they one way or the other misplaced towards Scotland – which might have been to their full benefit – the event was designed in a means {that a} bunch of useless rubbers had been inevitable.
One crew above all
It’s no secret that any World Cup in cricket is deliberate out to maximise India’s presence. (Recall the 2007 ODI WC scenario the place India had been shocked within the group stage, after a shock defeat to Bangladesh.) On the threat of gravitating towards soccer once more, France in 2002 or Germany in 2018 (or 2022) – when one of many recreation’s greatest groups is compelled to exit early – doesn’t seem doubtless for India anymore as a result of the attracts really feel closely curated.
The ODI World Cup format has reworked right into a UEFA Champions League of kinds and the supposed shorter and wilder T20 format too does all the pieces to ensure India are unlikely to exit with out taking part in no less than 5 or 6 matches. Even of their forgettable marketing campaign in 2021, India had been assured 5 matches as a result of it was a Tremendous 12 with 6 groups every in a pool.
Indian crew head coach Rahul Dravid, proper, speaks to captain Rohit Sharma forward of the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup cricket match between Canada and India on the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium, Lauderhill, Fla., Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP/PTI)
In 2024, India had the comforts of minimal journey within the group stage (three matches in Nassau adopted by a fast journey to Florida) whereas most different groups needed to hop between venues, even nations, and clock loads of air miles. India received a warm-up match in Nassau, whereas their three opponents there within the group stage had been all taking part in their first matches on the new venue the day they met India.
Pattern this: When the USA confronted India in New York, the ‘co-hosts’ of the event had been taking part in on the venue for the primary time ever whereas the away crew had already performed three matches there.
Catering to India’s primetime
Rohit Sharma and Co even have the benefit of figuring out that all of their matches can be performed on the identical time – comparable to prime time in India. There is no such thing as a have to adapt to taking part in at completely different occasions of the day. Even their Tremendous 8 matches had been already pre-decided to be 8pm begins in India. And India are the one facet that is aware of which venue they are going to play their semifinal that additionally begins at 8pm IST.
A number of it’s presumably dictated by the broadcasters. However for years, India has had followers who get up early within the morning for a wonderful style of the Australian summer time or keep up late to benefit from the rhythms of the Caribbean. There may be additionally a component of shock that’s missing in figuring out how groups progress within the event, which fully resets from Wednesday with the group stage having no carryover to the Tremendous 8.
By making this a 20-team occasion, the ICC did put the world in a World Cup however there may be nonetheless so much to be finished to make this a very international sporting occasion.
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