Junaid Khan criticized the scheduling of the 2025 Champions Trophy, alleging that Team India and the BCCI gained advantages by playing all matches in Dubai without traveling. He highlighted travel distances for New Zealand and South Africa, suggesting that such scheduling gives unfair benefits. Gautam Gambhir, India’s coach, countered the criticism, asserting that the team did not practice in Dubai and faced entirely different conditions from their training.
Junaid Khan, a former Pakistani fast bowler, criticized the scheduling of the 2025 Champions Trophy, suggesting that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian team have benefited from it. His remarks surfaced ahead of the final between India and New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium, highlighting discrepancies in travel distances among the teams involved.
Khan revealed that South Africa, after reaching the semifinal, traveled 3,286 kilometers, which included unnecessary travel to Dubai and back to Pakistan. In comparison, New Zealand traveled 7,150 kilometers across four venues, while India enjoyed the benefit of not traveling at all, as their matches were all held in Dubai. He tweeted, “Distance travelled between matches in Champions Trophy 2025: New Zealand: 7,150 KM, South Africa: 3,286 KM, India: 0 KM. Some teams win by skill, some win by scheduling…”.
The geopolitical situation prevented the Indian team’s participation in Pakistan for the ICC tournament, leading the ICC to select the UAE as a neutral venue for India. Consequently, India played all matches at a single location, raising allegations of an uneven advantage over teams required to travel extensively between cities.
In response to these allegations, India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, defended the team’s stance, stating that they had not practiced in Dubai prior to the tournament, which hindered claims of undue advantage. He argued, “There’s a lot of debate about the undue advantage… We haven’t practiced here even for a day. We’re practicing at the ICC Academy… the conditions there and here are 180 degrees different.” Gambhir dismissed the criticism and labeled it as unwarranted.
In summary, the remarks from Junaid Khan reflect ongoing tensions regarding scheduling disparities in the 2025 Champions Trophy. While India played all their matches at a single venue, other teams faced significant travel challenges. Despite criticism regarding unfair advantages, India’s coach maintained that preparation and venue conditions varied drastically, underscoring the complexities of international cricket logistics. The discussions highlight the intersection of sports, geography, and politics in the realm of cricket.
Original Source: www.hindustantimes.com
