If only! More than noise: focusing on their team’s cricket.

Delhi: The issue of schedule of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 (ICC Champions Trophy) has now come to a place where the schedule of the entire tournament has been questioned by playing all its matches in Dubai in the Hybrid model in the Champions Trophy. The biggest thing is that those who criticized India’s growing influence in international cricket got another topic. Are they correct? Okay, the schedule with which this tournament was played became strange, but behind what happened, it is wrong to say that the objective was to benefit India only.

After South Africa’s defeat in the semi -finals, David Miller did not reduce the ICC criticism (although, broke the code of conduct for it) and most, mentioned the compulsion of his team to take flights twice within 24 hours before the semi -finals against New Zealand.

He says, “Even though this flight was just one hour and 40 minutes, it was wrong to do so in waste.” These are the millers, whose 100 off 63 balls could not win their team and lost by 50 runs by scoring 312/9. Actually it happened that after its final group match against England, South Africa took a flight to Dubai in the morning. Till that time it was not decided that the Indian team would play semi -finals against which of Australia and South Africa. Both Australia and South Africa had to play either of them, so both were sent to Dubai for better preparation, so that the weather and pitch could take stock of the there (the last match of Group B was South Africa-England but Protiaz and Australia had to address their semi-finals only after the next day’s India-New Zealand match). As soon as it was decided that South Africa had to play a semi -finals with New Zealand in Lahore, he had to return immediately. Arrived at Dubai at 4 pm and had to return at 7.30 am the next morning.

Can not deny the truth of exhaustion, but it is wrong to say that had to travel in the middle of the tournament. Many examples can be given in response to this issue, but recent two examples are the best. During the 2023 ODI World Cup, despite being hosts, Team India caught the most flight, traveled the most and the distance was more than 14 thousand km. Similarly, during the last T20 World Cup, teams continued to catch USA flight from Caribbean. If there is a tournament in Australia, Melbourne flight from Sydney has been more than 3 hours. Then no one complains.

When the hybrid model was approved for the tournament, a strange situation had to be created. Pakistan is the host but the final is not in Pakistan. It is also being described as strange but it is not unique. When the match is in more than one country, then such a situation will come. Pakistan was also a host in the 1987 Reliance World Cup and would have played in Kolkata if they had reached the finals. The 1996 World Cup, a host Sri Lanka won, but the final was actually in Lahore. Apart from this, when every team played in the tournament’s schedule, the tournament was approved, then why the noise now? Miller should actually ask for such a flight to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on the issue of playing all matches in India from Cricket South Africa on schedule and Nasir Hussain and Mike Atherton. If incidentally, South Africa team played in the semi -finals from India, they would not criticize the arrangements made in Dubai for practice.

Even then, there are some facts about the schedule, which are special and the hosts need better thinking from Pakistan and ICC. If all the matches of India were distributed in India’s match Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, then the issue of playing all the matches in India would not have jumped up. However, it also did not benefit Team India, because they are not using the main stadium for practice. Practice session went to Dubai Cricket Academy. Apart from this, India played on 10 venue in the 2023 World Cup and in this Champions Trophy, India has also played every match on a separate pitch.

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