'Absolutely mental': ICC accused of putting India first as England veterans spark Women's T20 World Cup outrage

There is one notable exception i the Women's T20 World Cup scheduling. If India qualify for the semi-finals, they are guaranteed to play the first semi-final

Veteran England cricketers Kate Cross and Alex Hartley have questioned the International Cricket Council's (ICC) scheduling for the ongoing Women's T20 World Cup, accusing the governing body of prioritising India.

India's Deepti Sharma celebrates taking the catch of Bangladesh's Sobhana Mostary during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup cricket match between India and Bangladesh in Manchester (AP)

Under the tournament format, currently being hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the top two teams from Groups A and B will qualify for the semi-finals. The Group A winners will face the Group B runners-up in one semi-final, while the Group B winners will take on the Group A runners-up in the other, with both matches scheduled to be played at The Oval.

However, there is one notable exception. If India qualify for the semi-finals, they are guaranteed to play the first semi-final on June 30, which starts at 8:00 pm IST — a prime-time slot for Indian television audiences. The second semi-final, scheduled for 12:00 am IST on July 3, is more suited to the local audience, particularly with hosts England still in contention.

If India fail to qualify, the standard bracket will apply, with the Group A winners facing the Group B runners-up in Semi-final 1 and the Group B winners taking on the Group A runners-up in Semi-final 2.

Speaking on No Balls: The Cricket Podcast, Cross labelled the scheduling arrangement "ridiculous" and questioned why one team should receive preferential treatment.

“Can we talk about the fact that I have seen today that if India qualify for the semis, they’re guaranteed to play in the Tuesday semi-final because the ICC thinks that it’s the best one for them to play in time-wise,” Cross said.

Hartley agreed, pointing out that the same practice has existed across ICC tournaments.

“It happens in men’s cricket, women’s cricket, all World Cups,” she said.

Cross admitted she understood the commercial reasoning but struggled to accept the principle behind it.

“Everyone can plan it based on when India are gonna play. It’s absolutely mental. I don’t understand how you can go into a tournament and the governing body would prioritise one team like that. I know exactly why they’re doing it, but I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Despite the criticism, Hartley noted that India still have work to do before worrying about the semi-final schedule.

“Yeah, it is bad but it’s looking like they might struggle to qualify anyway.”

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side have beaten Bangladesh, the Netherlands and Pakistan but lost to South Africa. They currently sit second in Group A, with their semi-final hopes likely to hinge on Sunday's clash against tournament favourites Australia, who have won 24 of their last 27 Women's T20 World Cup matches dating back to 2018.