Former Pakistani captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has raised concerns over what he perceives as preferential treatment towards India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
On a recent TV news show, Inzamam highlighted discrepancies in the tournament rules that seem to favor India over other teams, particularly in crucial knockout matches.
India are unbeaten in the competition so far, winning six of their seven matches - one was washed out. The in-form Indian team will take on England in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Guyana later on Saturday, June 27.
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What did Inzamam-ul-Haq say on ICC favoring India?
Inzamam pointed out that while one semi-final has a reserve day scheduled, the other, involving India, does not.
He argues that this decision puts India at an advantage because if their match is affected by rain and cannot be completed, India would progress based on their higher group stage finish.
"There are 2 semifinals, out of which only one has reserve day, India's match does not have reserve day because they finished first in the group, and in case of washout, India will progress, advantaging India. ICC is making rules for particular matches, they are not keeping it uniform and fair." argued Inzamam.
What did Inzamam-ul-Haq say on ICC decision in Asia Cup?
Inzamam drew comparison with the 2023 Asia Cup, when a reserve day was allotted only for the India vs Pakistan clash after the tournament had started. He mentioned how in certain critical matches, such as when Pakistan was poised advantageously, ICC introduced reserve days selectively that raised questions about fairness.
"The same thing happened in the last Asia Cup when Pakistan was in a strong position in the tournament, ICC introduced a reserve day for just one match in the entire tournament." said Inzamam.
Inzamam criticized ICC for what he perceives as inconsistent and biased rule-making and suggested that decisions are being tailored to favor specific teams, primarily India. He highlighted concerns that such practices undermine the integrity of the tournament and create an uneven playing field.
What did Inzamam-ul-Haq say on 'Big 1' dominance?
Inzamam expressed frustration over what he sees as the dominance of India in influencing ICC decisions. He lamented the shift from the concept of the 'Big 3' (India, Australia and England) to what he terms as the 'Big 1', where India's influence appears to supersede that of other cricketing nations.
"We have been hearing the talks about "Big 3" in cricket. But this time, even England cannot do anything. From last year, it seems like Big 3 has become Big 1, with only India dominating the decisions," the former Pakistan player said.
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