The International Cricket Council (ICC) has come under heavy criticism following the confirmation of the Super 8 teams in the T20 World Cup 2026. The reason for all the backlash is tournament’s pre-seeding format, which has resulted in all four group-stage winners being placed in the same pool, while the teams who finished second are placed in the other.
Amid the growing controversy, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar weighed in on the issue, questioning the timing of the criticism and suggesting that logistical considerations may have driven the ICC’s decision.
“Why bring this up now? Why was this not brought up before the start of the tournament? Those are the questions that need to be asked of the people who are raising these points now. The reason that I can think of, maybe the ICC can explain it better, is that the logistics, the tournament is being played in two countries,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.
The 1983 World Cup winner emphasised that organising a multi-nation event across two host countries involves significant logistical challenges. According to him, factors such as international travel, accommodation arrangements, and immigration formalities likely influenced the decision to pre-seed teams in advance.
“There’s international travel, there’s immigration, and there’s customs, all those things to be taken care of. There is still the question of airline and hotel bookings; not every team travels with the same number of people. Some teams travel with a support staff team of 15, so maybe they need 35-40 rooms. Some teams may travel with 20-22 people altogether, so they may need fewer rooms. All these things need to be taken into account, and perhaps this is the reason why the pre-seeding took place,” he concluded.
The outcome has sparked debate among fans and experts alike, as it effectively places the best-performing teams from the first round in what many are calling the “Group of Death.” Meanwhile, the sides that finished second now appear to have a comparatively smoother route to the semifinals.
Meanwhile, the Super 8 stage kicked off on February 21 on a dull note, with Pakistan vs New Zealand washed out due to rain. Next up, England will face Sri Lanka, while India will play South Africa, with both matches scheduled on February 22.
