The scheduling of the T20 World Cup in the US and the Caribbean has raised concerns due to the potential for a tight turnaround between the semifinals and the final.
With the two semifinals planned for June 26 and 27, and the final set for June 29, there’s a possibility of one team having to play both matches on consecutive days.
While it may be argued that such a scenario is unlikely given June’s status as a summer month in the Caribbean, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) have arranged reserve days, indicating a preparedness for unforeseen circumstances.
If the second semifinal spills over to June 28, the winning team will face the challenge of playing the final within 24 hours, alongside traveling from Providence in Guyana to Bridgetown in Barbados.
Notably, India could be affected if they progress to the final.
According to the schedule, India’s potential semifinal is on June 27 at 8:30 pm IST.
While a CWI official mentioned that the ICC regulates the tournament’s playing regulations, Cricpulse reached out to the ICC for further clarification.
In a media release dated March 15, the ICC confirmed the inclusion of reserve days for the last three games of the tournament.
“It was also confirmed during the meetings that ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 would have reserve days scheduled for the semi-finals and final,” stated the ICC in the release.
In case such a scenario unfolds, the ICC may need to utilize the reserve days for the final, set on June 30, although no official statement has explicitly mentioned this yet.
The World Cup commences on June 1, setting the stage for an unprecedented situation with tighter scheduling compared to previous global events.
In past tournaments, there were ample gaps between the reserve day of the second semifinal and the final.
For instance, in the 2023 World Cup in India, the second semifinal and the final were held with sufficient intervals, highlighting the uniqueness of the current scheduling challenge.
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