T20 World Cup Format Favors Final Group Match Teams
Published: June 12, 2024 (18:20 BST) | Updated: June 12, 2024 (18:44 BST)
The T20 World Cup has been beset by a format that favors teams playing the final group match, and Australian cricketer Josh Hazlewood’s careless comments about exploiting this system to knock out England have only confirmed this issue.
Assuming Jos Buttler’s England team beats Oman on Thursday and Namibia on Saturday, they will eagerly monitor Australia’s match against Scotland later that day in St. Lucia. Even a narrow defeat for Scotland could be enough to see them progress to the Super Eights at England’s expense, potentially leading to tough decisions for managing director Rob Key regarding the coach or captain, or both.
The potential for subterfuge is clear, with the ICC’s code of conduct prohibiting the “inappropriate manipulation of net run-rate.” Yet Hazlewood’s remarks have simply exposed the amateurish nature of the schedule, where England’s final group game takes place before Scotland faces Australia, allowing the Aussies to strategize based on the required margin of victory.
While Hazlewood may have been joking, his candid comments have raised serious ethical concerns. England must convincingly defeat Oman and Namibia to have any chance of reaching the Super Eights, as a narrow Scotland loss to Australia could see them progress instead.
The ICC has grappled with similar issues in the past, such as the “Disgrace of Gijon” at the 1982 World Cup. While the governing body argues that scheduling matches in different cities is logistically and commercially challenging, sporting integrity should be the top priority.
As for the upcoming matches, England’s expected lineup against Oman features:
- Phil Salt
- Jos Buttler
- Will Jacks
- Jonny Bairstow
- Harry Brook
- Moeen Ali
- Liam Livingstone
- Chris Jordan
- Jofra Archer
- Adil Rashid
- Reece Topley
Oman’s probable team includes:
- Pratik Athavale
- Naseem Khushi
- Aqib Ilyas
- Zeeshan Maqsood
- Khali Kail
- Ayaan Khan
- Mehran Khan
- Rafiullah
- Shakeel Ahmed
- Kaleemullah
- Bilal Khan
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