The ICC Champions Trophy has faced strong criticism due to issues surrounding its scheduling and travel arrangements, particularly the requirement for India to play their matches in the UAE while the rest of the tournament takes place in Pakistan.
The situation reached a peak when the South African team was forced to fly between Dubai and Lahore multiple times, as semifinal matchups were only decided less than 48 hours before the first semifinal was set to begin.
David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd, former English player and commentator, did not hold back in expressing his frustration with the situation, calling it “embarrassing” and “farcical.” He said, “It’s laughable, that you have to do that. I mean, words fail me.”
Lloyd has previously criticized the ICC’s scheduling, especially the repeated pairing of Pakistan and India in the same group. He described the travel chaos during the tournament as “nonsense” and highlighted how teams were uncertain about their next moves due to the lack of clarity on match locations and timings.
India took advantage of their Dubai base to defeat Australia in the semifinal, while the confusion around South Africa’s travel may have contributed to their loss to New Zealand just a day later.
The decision to schedule two games in Dubai within three days sparked significant criticism, with many feeling the ICC’s arrangements favored India at the expense of other teams. Despite the scheduling issues, India has reached their third consecutive Champions Trophy final, set to play New Zealand in Dubai.
