Veteran England journalist, cricket fraternity slam Champions Trophy semis mess involving India: 'Don't even pretend to be fair-minded'

The scheduling of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has taken the center stage once again with the cricket fraternity questioning the arrangements of the semi-finals. The decision to hold the two semi-finals in different countries, one in UAE (Dubai) and the other in Pakistan (Lahore), has left Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, the other three teams qualified for the knockout stage, facing an unnecessary travel dilemma.

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Both Australia and South Africa have reached Dubai and will wait for the result of the India-New Zealand game to determine their semi-final venue. One of these teams will have to fly back to Pakistan along with the Kiwis, depending on the outcome of the final group-stage game between India and New Zealand on Sunday. India, on the other hand, will remain at their base, where they will play their semi-final as well.

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An ICC official told ESPNcricinfo that the scheduling decision was made to ensure the team playing in Dubai on 4 March has ample time to prepare. However, this arrangement forces one of the Group B teams to shuttle between Pakistan and the UAE, potentially disrupting their preparations. Australia, having already secured their semi-final spot after their match against Afghanistan was abandoned in Lahore, traveled to Dubai on Saturday. South Africa, who confirmed their qualification with a resounding win over England, left Karachi for Dubai on Sunday.

How did this mess happen? 

The root of this scheduling mess lies in India’s refusal to play in Pakistan due to ongoing political tensions between the two nations. The PCB initially proposed hosting all of India’s matches in Lahore, but the BCCI cited the Indian government’s refusal to grant permission for travel to Pakistan. Consequently, the ICC decided that India will play all their matches in Dubai despite Pakistan being the host nation.

BCCI and ICC face criticism

The scheduling controversy has drawn sharp criticism from prominent cricket voices. BBC’s chief cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew highlighted the absurdity of the arrangement, stating, “India are camped out in Dubai playing in the same ground and same places in the changing room. Both Australia and South Africa will fly to Dubai, but only one will play there and the other will get back on a plane to Lahore. It’s all got a bit crazy.”

Veteran journalist Sadanand Dhume went a step further, accusing India of controlling the International Cricket Council (ICC) to its advantage. “People don’t want to hear it, but India has Third Worldized the management of international cricket. It does not even pretend to be fair-minded. The point of power is to flaunt it—the cruder the better.”

A viral post from a Kiwi diplomat further exposed the disparity, outlining the stark contrast between India and other teams’ travel schedules during the tournament:

If it’s an 🇮🇳 v 🇳🇿 Champions Trophy final, this will be the two teams’ travel schedules for the tournament.

🇮🇳: Dubai

🇳🇿: Karachi ✈️ Rawalpindi ✈️ Dubai ✈️ Lahore ✈️ Dubai

— Michael Appleton (@michelappleton) March 2, 2025