‘I don’t know how broadcasting at 8 pm IST helps India win matches’: Sourav Ganguly pays tribute to his ‘dear friend’ Michael Vaughan for his unfair World Cup claim – News18

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has criticized the way the 2024 T20 World Cup schedule was designed keeping the Indian cricket team in mind. All India’s matches were played in the morning (10:30 a.m. local time) and the former champions were supposed to play the second semi-final (morning match) if they qualified, regardless of their position at the stage of the Super 8.

The timings of the matches in India have been kept to suit the country’s timings as they start at 8 PM IST.

Read also: Ganguly cites ‘700-run World Cup’ to defend Kohli

The first semi-final took place between South Africa and Afghanistan in Trinidad and Vaughan vented his anger on X (formerly Twitter) and took an indirect dig at India and the International Cricket Council (ICC ).

“This semi should have surely been the Guyana semi… but with the whole event being biased towards India, it’s so unfair to others… #T20IWorldCup,” he wrote.

In the second semi-final, India outclassed defending champions England to find themselves in the final against South Africa. Vaughan, after heaping praise on the Rohit Sharma-led team, insinuated that the surface was more conducive to the Indian team.

“India fully deserve to be in the final… The best team in the tournament so far… I have always been too harsh on England on this pitch… India are much better on the lower, slower pitches… #T20IWorldCup,” he wrote.

Sourav Ganguly responded to Vaughan wondering how the evening time slot helps India win matches.

“Michael Vaughan is a very dear friend. I don’t know how ICC helps India win cricket matches by telecasting the game at 8 pm IST in the evening. I don’t know how broadcasting helps you win cricket matches. You always have to play in the middle and win,” Ganguly was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

“Secondly, I don’t know why Guyana is considered a place of victory when it has gone around and won everywhere,” he added.

The BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world with the Indian market being the biggest source of revenue for the ICC and Ganguly says the reason behind this lies in his team’s consistent performances on the field.

“Yes, India is a dominant force in world cricket, through its performances, through its broadcasts and through the money it brings in. You know that if you own 80 percent of a company’s shares, you will receive more dividends and profits than others. This is the rule of life. It’s the same in India,” he said.

Stay updated with the latest news from T20 World Cup 2024. Explore T20 World Cup matches today. Check the updated list of top scorers and top wicket-takers of the T20 World Cup 2024. Check the points table of the T20 World Cup 2024 and players with most sixes, most fours, most over fifty and most hundreds in the T20 World Cup 2024.