Monday, June 22, 2009

The Next World Twenty20 in 2010

Pakistan are the World Twenty20 champions, but only for another 10 months.

A number of people are wondering why the next World T20 was been scheduled only 10 months after the one that just concluded.

I have the answer. It wasn't scheduled that way.

The ICC Champions Trophy, which is held every 2 years, was scheduled to be held in Pakistan in September 2008, and the West Indies in April 2010.

The 2008 Champions Trophy was cancelled and shifted to South Africa, due to security concerns; it is now being played in September 2009.

Since it did not make sense to have another Champions Trophy in the West Indies within 6 months, that tournament was revised and scheduled as a World Twenty20.

Hence, the ICC World Twenty20 2010.

Makes sense? Did to me.

Moreover, all of us would like to see another World T20 in April next year rather than a Champions Trophy, right?

Yeah, I thought so.

If the ICC use the same seeding format that they did during the 2009 World T20, then the 2010 tournament, will see the following groups (seeding in brackets):

Group A: Pakistan (1), Qualifier 1 (8), Qualifier 2 (9)
Group B: Sri Lanka (2), India (7), Bangladesh (10)
Group C: South Africa (3), England (6), Australia (11)
Group D: West Indies (4), New Zealand (5), Zimbabwe / Qualifier 3 (12)

Yes Australia finished 11th, even below Bangladesh; hence they find themselves in another group of death.

Ireland and Netherlands finished 8th and 9th respectively. The World T20 qualifiers will take place later this year and the top 2 teams will take their place in the April tournament.

I'm not sure what Zimbabwe's situation is, but I don't think they will be stopped from playing in the West Indies. If they are the 3rd qualifier will make it, otherwise it will be Zimbabwe.

Following that, if the Super 8s are also based on the same seeding format, then we will see the following Groups:

Group E: Pakistan, India, South Africa, New Zealand.
Group F: Qualifier 1, Sri Lanka, England, West Indies.

Ofcourse if Australia qualify they replace who they qualify instead of. Same for Bangladesh and any other team that may surprise us in 2010.

Looking forward to it already?

More importantly, if this happens in April, what happens to the IPL?

Make your pitch on this post...



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27 Pitched:

  1. Rayden said...
     

    Q - I honestly have mixed feelings about this. I was just getting used to having a world cup every 2 years which initially i didnt like but having another world cup within 10 months - less than a year is crazy.

    Couldn't the tournament in WI be called something else or let the 2009 champions trophy be cancelled all together.

    I also feel for the Pakistanis that they have to defend their crown so quickly. They should have been given the World Champions Tag for much longer.

    I know everyone is excited now because we had such a super tournament but trust me, WI T20 World Cup will be here so quickly that we will be like - what, world cup again???

  2. SledgeHammer said...
     

    @Rayden - I agree with you. I remember when ICC announced the changes, and converted the WI Champions Trophy into a T20 World Cup.

    I was disappointed then, but even more so now since Pakistan are the champs! (yes, subjectivity is involved).

    What ICC should have done is canceled the 2008 Champions Trophy altogether. If it wasn't going to be held in Pakistan, it wouldn't be held anywhere.

    That way, the 2010 Champions Trophy would go ahead as scheduled.

    The only good side is that I may visit the Caribbean for the tournament. But from a cricket schedule perspective, it's a disaster.

    And try explaining this to millions of Pakistani fans.

    However, I don't think that it's a done deal at this point. The IPL is scheduled for the same time, so that is going to cause huge issues. Plus, ICC may rethink now that it is upon them.

    Let's see how it turns out.

  3. Leg Break said...
     

    MY crystal ball is saying to me that this year's Champions Trophy will be the last one.

    Let face it, in an increasingly cluttered calendar, what should be the first tournament to get the flick?

    BTW, including net year's T20, how many of the ICCs last 13 limited overs tournaments have been held in Australasia?

  4. SledgeHammer said...
     

    @Leg Break: That's a good read. The increase in 1s/2s/3s, and the huge decrease in 6s, is reflective of the evolution of the game.

    It's on the wham-bam form that so many thought it would be.

  5. skroegerj said...
     

    Actually the IPL is tentatively scheduled for sometime BEFORE the World Twenty20 in the West Indies. You can bet nothing's gonna stop that money grubbing Modi from holding an IPL event.

  6. Aashrey said...
     

    Good work Q, haha, and I guess it doesn't take much for me to look forward to cricket.

    Though I think they'll change the seeding system this time.

  7. Q said...
     

    Rayden,

    I know wat ur saying.. lets just hope its not an overkill.

    Atleast the World T20 and Champions Trophy hardly last 2 weeks, so they r not as draining as the ODI WC, which seems to go on forever.

  8. Q said...
     

    Sledge,

    I just read somewhere that the IPL in 2010 will be held in March.. while the World T20 is scheduled for Apr 23 - May 09.. hence I guess we will have both one after the other like this year...

    Sad for us though.. defending the title again in 10 months time.. it'll be here before we know it.

  9. Q said...
     

    LB,

    I think ur right.. with the IPL and CL taking prominence, the Champs Trophy will probably go..

    Last 13?

    That would be:

    2010 Wt20: WI
    2009 CT: SA
    2009 CT: Eng
    2007 Wt20: SA
    2007 WC: WI
    2006 CT: Ind
    2004 CT: Eng
    2003 WC: SA
    2002 CT: SL
    2000 CT: Kenya
    1999 WC: Eng
    1998 CT: Bang
    1996 WC: Pak/Ind/SL

    When u say Australasia do u include Ind/Pak/SL/Bang?

    If so then 4 out of the 13. Surprising to say the least.

    Australia/NZ have not hosted anything since 1992... any idea why?

    I think it has something to do with TV viewing times.. timing of matches in Aus and NZ is not ideal for the prime time mass market of Asia..

    Eng, SA, and WI suit those times the best.. hence the obvious trends..

  10. Q said...
     

    skroejerg,

    Welcome to Well Pitched.

    U r right.. its actually scheduled to start in March next year.

  11. Q said...
     

    Aashrey,

    I hope they do cos it makes no sense to me. For the Super 8s though.. I have no issues with them ranking the teams based on previous WT20 performance and grouping them..

  12. Leg Break said...
     

    13 on the trot and not one of them in either Aus or NZ. You’d think a Champions Trophy wouldn’t have been too hard.

  13. Q said...
     

    I agree LB.. but then there has to be a reason?

  14. Leg Break said...
     

    It does seem strange. I’d have thought Australia would’ve carried more weight than that. The only reason I can think of is an inconvenient time-zone but, really, that’s just tough.

    BTW, by Australasia up thread, I meant Australia and NZ (and pacific Islands)

  15. Anonymous said...
     

    I would feel bad if Champions trophy would be shelved. T20 euphoria is very good. But then CT is only tourney where the top 8 ODI teams meet.

    The world cup isnt the same anymore with needless teams getting in and increasing the one sided matches.

    last competitive world cup we had was in 1999. Since then 2003 and 2007 have had lot many one sided games between strong teams and minnows.

  16. Rayden said...
     

    @Sledge - Yeah exactly, how do you explain to the millions of Pakistani fans that they have to defend their crown within 10 months? Extremely unfair according to me. Also it completely ruins the importance of a "World Cup".

    @Q - If the IPL is just before the T20 cup again, then again India has no chance - not because they will be tired but because I think the Indians nowadays concentrate more on IPL and give their best in that tournament.

    @Leg Break - Wow, I didnt realize its been 13 years since Australia or New Zealand have hosted an important cricket tournament. That statistic is crazy. Needs to change for sure.

  17. Rayden said...
     

    @Leg Break - Sorry not 13 years but actually 17 yrs - which makes it even worse.

  18. SledgeHammer said...
     

    @Rayden: What they really should do is cancel the Champions Trophy in SA, and move it to the Caribbean in April (as originally planned).

    I know some in SA might be disappointed, but with the IPL already held there this year, along with an incredible summer, followed by another cracking one this year, they really could do without the CT.

    The Caribbean may prefer a T20 over CT, but I think this is the best solution.

    Not only as a Pakistan fan, but as a cricket fan. As you said, it diminishes the concept of a World Cup.

  19. Q said...
     

    LB,

    I also wonder why Aus/NZ have not pushed harder for one either.. they are happy to leave the 2011 one for the subcontinent as well when it was actually their turn..

  20. Q said...
     

    Superunknown,

    This is the only time that the CT will involved 8 of the top teams.. all the previous versions have involved 12...

  21. Q said...
     

    Rayden,

    It sad for us that we get only 10 months to be champions.. but thats ok.. no reason why we can't win it again next time ;-)

  22. Q said...
     

    Sledge,

    That is the logical option, but we know how well the ICC and logic go together..

  23. Rayden said...
     

    @Sledge - Yeah exactly, the champions Trophy needs to be moved to WI. Thats the most logical option but like Q said and I second him - logic and ICC don't often go together.

    Also you are right about SA - They have had a lot of big cricket tournaments lately. The first T20 Cup, IPL, great domestic season etc. Also they have the football world cup coming up. Hence it wont be that bad if the Champions Trophy gets moved to WI. But having the world T20 again in 10 months would be quite dissapointing for all cricket fans.

  24. Abdullah said...
     

    DIABOLICAL , NO LOGIC .......

  25. Abdullah said...
     

    This makes winning or champions status sound meaningless.

  26. SledgeHammer said...
     

    I think Afridi just realized that the next T20 is less than a year away:

    http://www.cricinfo.com/wt202009/content/current/story/410343.html

    He shouldn't "fail to understand" it though. There's a pretty clear explanation. However, he has every right to be pissed off with that explanation (even though Pakistan is part of the reason for this scheduling).

  27. Q said...
     

    Maza, Sledge,

    All the more reason why pakistan should try just as hard to win it next year as well!

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