David 'Bumble' Lloyd slams T20 World Cup "manipulation for the benefit of a few"

Bumble argued India should not have been automatically allocated their semi-final slot before the tournament started

Ciaran McCarthy | 26/06/2024 at 11:51

Former cricketer, umpire and commentator David 'Bumble' Lloyd has slammed the Men's T20 World Cup, which has been manipulated "for the benefit of a few".

It was argued that India and Pakistan should not be drawn against each other in each event, and the big talking point is the former side's semi-final place.

They already knew which of the two semis they'd play in if they got past the Super 8s, with the 8.30pm local start time in Guyana benefitting an Indian television audience.

They will also go through to the final automatically if there is no play - with no reserve day - given they finished top of their Super 8 group and opponents England did not.

George Dobell: Plenty at stake for England in Guyana semi-final - but the real pressure is on India

"It just isn't fair," he told Jon Norman and Jarrod Kimber on the TalkSport Cricket YouTube Channel. "We can go round and round and talk about this forever. We're just manipulating the tournament for the benefit of a few," he added.

"If you look at the TV audience in India, they would watch anything in India, they would watch it at any time. It is the religion, it is the be-all and end-all. They would watch it.

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^{Catering the tournament to India's fans is flawed (Randy Brooks/Getty Images)}

"It must be some commercial value that overrides the competition itself. Who devises it all? Don’t tell me the ICC, who?"

"This operating group must be told while they’re doing it: this must happen, that must happen."

On the tournament being split between the USA and the West Indies, Bumble said: "It needs to be the best World Cup that we can put together for the supporter. You've got to make it simple, if you want to play in America, go play the whole thing in America.

"West Indies, America, spectators, country, country, visas, passports, hotels. They're not making it easy."

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