T20 World Cup 2026: 'Didn’t see many complaints' - Wasim Jaffer calls out Team India critics for selective outrage over scheduling

Former India batter Wasim Jaffer has stepped into the scheduling debate surrounding the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and made it clear that he sees a clear case of selective criticism. According to Jaffer, similar situations are being judged very differently depending on which team is involved.

The conversation links back to the 2025 Champions Trophy, where India played all their matches in Dubai after opting not to travel to Pakistan, the host nation. India went on to win the tournament, but their campaign drew criticism from several quarters, with many suggesting that playing at a single venue gave them an undue advantage. Jaffer believes the same logic has not been applied during the ongoing T20 World Cup.

In the current tournament, Pakistan have played all their matches in Colombo without having to travel, while most other teams, including India, have moved across different venues in India. Despite this, the criticism around scheduling has been noticeably muted.

"Pakistan were based in Colombo and had already played multiple games there before facing India. Didn't see many complaints then about scheduling giving teams an advantage, unlike during the Champions Trophy. Guess it doesn't fit the narrative," Jaffer said via X.

The on-field result added another layer to the discussion. Despite playing just one match in Colombo, a venue where Pakistan already had significant familiarity, India produced a dominant display and defeated their archrivals by 61 runs in the group-stage clash.

Jaffer also voiced his concerns about the structure of the tournament, particularly the points system and the way teams are placed in the Super Eight stage.

Due to the pre-seeding, all four teams that finished unbeaten in the group stage - India, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the West Indies - have ended up in the same group. Group 2, meanwhile, features England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, with each of those sides having lost at least one match earlier in the competition.

For Jaffer, the bigger issue is that strong performances in the group stage do not carry forward. Once teams qualify for the Super Eights, the points table is effectively reset.

"Great to see Zim and WI top their groups. Slightly unfair that it counts for nothing in the Super 8s. Group toppers should carry 2 points forward as they’ve already beaten one of the Super 8 qualifiers," said Jaffer.