Farewell to a rather forgettable T20 Men’s World Cup
Normally, with tournaments, there is that feeling of nostalgia, and when the final is upon you, there is a bittersweet longing for more. But not this time. I will be waving a rather enthusiastic goodbye, as I will be happy to see the back of this World Cup.
This World Cup will be etched in memory, not for its brilliance, but for its blunders. It will be remembered for the embarrassingly small crowds, poor organisation, lockdowns at venues, pitches resembling minefields more than batting paradises, and a group stage setup that reeked of preordained narratives with a pre-determined script.
How the ICC set up the group standings before a ball was bowled with the "AI and A2" groups, etc., was a system as transparent as a magician's hat. No matter what, it was decided that India would play the second semi-final in Guyana, irrespective of their standings in the Super 8. This had to do with viewership in India, as the first semi-final was played at 6 am Indian time, while the second semi-final was at 8 pm in India, a more ideal time for TV viewership; essentially primetime television. Then, playing the last round of games in both the group stage and Super 8 stage with the teams that played the final game, knowing exactly what they had to do to qualify. Had the India vs Australia game been played after the Afghanistan vs Bangladesh game, would the tactics of those teams have changed? Would Bangladesh have known how many runs they needed to score in the number of overs to win the game, and/or would Afghanistan have played differently?
This World Cup will be etched in memory, not for its brilliance, but for its blunders. It will be remembered for the embarrassingly small crowds, poor organisation, lockdowns at venues, pitches resembling minefields more than batting paradises, and a group stage setup that reeked of preordained narratives with a pre-determined script.
How the ICC set up the group standings before a ball was bowled with the "AI and A2" groups, etc., was a system as transparent as a magician's hat. No matter what, it was decided that India would play the second semi-final in Guyana, irrespective of their standings in the Super 8. This had to do with viewership in India, as the first semi-final was played at 6 am Indian time, while the second semi-final was at 8 pm in India, a more ideal time for TV viewership; essentially primetime television. Then, playing the last round of games in both the group stage and Super 8 stage with the teams that played the final game, knowing exactly what they had to do to qualify. Had the India vs Australia game been played after the Afghanistan vs Bangladesh game, would the tactics of those teams have changed? Would Bangladesh have known how many runs they needed to score in the number of overs to win the game, and/or would Afghanistan have played differently?
