Jay Shah Devajit Saikia for ICC and BCCI. Image Credits: AFP
England women’s cricketers Kate Cross and Alex Hartley have come in for some bashing on social media after they blamed Jay Shah and the ICC for favoring India in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Their words come ahead of India’s must-win clash against Australia on June 28, 2026, at Lord’s.
The Women's T20 World Cup campaign for India has advanced to a pivotal point. To increase their prospects of making it to the semi-finals, Harmanpreet Kaur's team needs to defeat Australia at Lord's. In this crucial match, a cohesive team effort will be crucial.
India’s T20 World Cup campaign
India Women started with a big win over Pakistan women in their tournament opener and followed it up with a 95-run win over the Netherlands. However, a 6-wicket loss to South Africa in Manchester put their hopes of semi-finals in trouble. India defeated Bangladesh in their recent-most T20 World Cup game against Bangladesh.
Although India has fought hard throughout the competition, there are still some worries. Fielders have missed crucial catches, the speed attack has not had enough of an impact with the new ball, and the middle order has battled to be consistent.
India has maintained their position in the race despite those setbacks thanks to significant victories in Manchester, Leeds, and Birmingham. They would be well-positioned to advance to the semi-finals with another victory at Lord's.
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Kate Cross and Alex Hartley slam the ICC for India’s scheduling in the T20 World Cup 2026
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is allegedly attempting to guarantee that India advances to the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup semifinals, according to English cricket players Alex Hartley and Kate Cross.
According to the two, the ICC supports India and collaborates with the BCCI to retain lucrative teams in the competition for financial gain. Kate Cross has alleged that the ICC had previously scheduled the semi-finals so that, should India qualify, they would play on Tuesday. She claimed that rather than upholding a fair competition framework, the choice was taken to appeal to television viewers.
"Can we talk about the fact that I've seen today that if India qualifies for the semis, they're guaranteed to play on the Tuesday semi-final because the ICC thinks that that's the best one for them to play in time-wise?" Kate Cross said on "No Balls: The Cricket Podcast."
Hartley supported the assertion, pointing out that similar scheduling choices had occurred in both the men's and women's World Cups. For business purposes, Cross continued, the ICC was favoring one team over another.
"Happens in men's cricket, women's cricket, all World Cups," Alex Hartley said.
Fans remind Cross and Hartley of England's groupings in ICC events and favoritism they receive
"Everyone can plan it based on when India is going to play. It's absolutely mental. I don't understand how you can go into a tournament, and the governing body would prioritize one team like that. I know exactly why they're doing it, but I think it's absolutely ridiculous," Kate Cross said.
"Yeah, it is bad, it is bad, but it's looking like they might struggle to qualify anyway," Alex Hartley added.
However, fans were not happy with the assertion Cross and Hartley made on their podcast and reminded them of the favoritism England receives from the ICC when it comes to events and groupings.
Here are some reactions:
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