How Politics Ruined the ICC Champions Trophy 2025

New Zealand is all set to take on India in the Champions Trophy 2025 final on March 9. India advanced to the final after defeating Australia by 4 wickets in the semi-final. In the second semi-final, New Zealand defeated South Africa by 50 runs to seal their berth in the finals. India and New Zealand will be facing each other for the third time in an ICC final.

However, cricket experts, former players, and fans have criticized India’s win and advancement. India comfortably sits in Dubai, playing all its matches on a single ground. This has been heavily criticized, and different bodies have questioned the integrity and credibility of the ICC.

Cricket Experts Reaction to the Unfair Advantage to India in the Champions Trophy 2025

It is visible to the public that India is holding the tournament. After refusing to travel to Pakistan due to security and political issues, the ICC permitted India to play all their matches in the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This upset a lot of fans and the teams. India has to neither travel to any other place nor play in a different stadium. The political tension between India and Pakistan has made a mockery of this tournament.

After South Africa’s loss against New Zealand in the Semifinals, David Miller pointed out the same unfair advantage India has right now. South Africa had to travel to Dubai and return on the same day back to Lahore to play New Zealand. The journey played a major role in the players’ match fitness.

Similarly, Aqib Javed took a dig in an interview, holding BCCI responsible for this situation. He said India benefitted from playing at the same venue. Whereas the rest of the team would know about their venues in the Semi-final and Final once the group matches get done.

South African Batsman Rassie van der Dussen also called out the scenario and pointed out the advantage of staying in one hotel, practicing on the same pitch, and playing on the same ground. He called it a brainer to comprehend the situation and advantage that India is holding.

Robin Uthappa, the former Indian batsman, called the situation as it is. In an interview, Robbie defended India on the grounds of not having an additional advantage. However, he also stated that the situation could have been handled better. He suggested that ICC could have asked them to play on different venues to even-steven the tournament.

Many people have criticized, and the outrage all over the internet has become a talking point in the cricketing world right now.

Let’s look at the solutions that ICC could have implemented to stop India from having an added advantage:

Complete Shifting to Dubai in Certain Cases

South Africa and Australia had to travel to Dubai for the semi-final, and one of the two teams had to return on the same day. It was due to India’s uncertainty about who they were going to face in the semifinals. Once India succeeded over New Zealand, the case was completely open on which teams were going to play whom and where. A better solution to it could have been the shifting of the entire tournament to the UAE once Pakistan was knocked out. The journey to Dubai and coming back took a massive toll on the South African players’ bodies and became one of the reasons behind their loss against New Zealand.

Matches at Different Venues

Instead of playing matches on a single venue, India could have been asked to play on three different venues in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah. India has gotten used to playing on the same pitch throughout the tournament. India has gotten familiar with the conditions and is deploying their troops as needed. Traveling to different places and playing in different conditions could have challenged India a bit. Or India could have been asked to travel to Sri Lanka or nearby countries to equalize the situation.

Time Duration for the Knockout Matches

Once Pakistan was knocked out of the tournament, the knockouts could have been given priority, and some necessary steps should have been initiated. Instead of giving a day or two for the teams to prepare, a window of 3-4 days could have been beneficial for the touring team. This would have equalized the odds, and the fans would have been in for a treat. The final is perfectly placed at a gap of 4 days, which allows New Zealand to get used to the conditions for 3 days. This could calm their nerves and give them sufficient time to prepare for the finals. The much anticipated clash could be a thriller for the kind of cricket the two team are playing.

The political turmoil between India and Pakistan has taken out the excitement from the tournament. ICC could have handled the situation in a much better way. However, all things will come down to the end on March 9, 2025, where either India or New Zealand will get their hands on the Champions Trophy throne.

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