English cricketers Alex Hartley and Kate Cross alleged that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is trying to ensure India reach the semi-finals of the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup. The duo claimed that the ICC favors India and works with the BCCI to keep high-revenue teams in the tournament for financial reasons.
The comments came ahead of the Harmanpreet Kaur-led team's must-win clash against Australia at Lord's on Sunday, June 28. They need a victory over the unbeaten defending champions to secure a place in the semi-finals. If India lose and South Africa beat Bangladesh, their campaign will come to an end.
England Women's captain Kate Cross (Image Credits: Twitter)
Kate Cross stated the ICC had already planned the semi-final schedule to ensure India would play on Tuesday if they qualified. She alleged that the decision was made to suit television audiences rather than maintain a fair tournament structure.
"Can we talk about the fact that I've seen today that if India qualify for the semis, they're guaranteed to play on the Tuesday semi-final because the ICC think that that's the best one for them to play in time-wise," Kate Cross said.
Hartley backed the claim, saying such scheduling decisions have happened in both men's and women's World Cups. Cross added that the ICC was prioritizing one team over others for commercial reasons.
"Happens in men's cricket, women's cricket, all World Cups," Alex Hartley said.
"Everyone can plan it based on when India are gonna play. It's absolutely mental. I don't understand how you can go into a tournament and the governing body would prioritize one team like that. I know exactly why they're doing it, but I think it's absolutely ridiculous," Kate Cross said.
"Yeah, it is bad, it is bad, but it's looking like they might struggle to qualify anyway," Alex Hartley added.
?? Shocking: Kate Cross and Alex Hartley believes that the ICC is showing favoritism toward the BCCI"Can we talk about the fact that, if India qualify for the semifinals, they're guaranteed to play in the Tuesday semifinal because the ICC believes that's the best slot for… pic.twitter.com/i5wt0Ah6K3
— Indian Cricket Ministry (@Tejashyyyyyy) June 28, 2026India Face Must-Win Test Against Australia
India's Women's T20 World Cup campaign has reached a crucial stage. Harmanpreet Kaur's side must beat Australia at Lord's to strengthen their chances of reaching the semi-finals. A complete team performance will be essential in this high-pressure clash.
India have shown plenty of fight throughout the tournament but still have a few concerns. The middle order has struggled for consistency, fielders have dropped important catches, and the pace attack has not made enough impact with the new ball.
Despite those setbacks, India have stayed in the race with important wins in Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester. Another victory at Lord's would put them in a strong position to qualify for the semi-finals.
Australia Close to Semi-Finals Despite Qualification Twist
Australia could not have asked for a better group-stage campaign, winning all four of their matches so far. However, they have not officially secured a semi-final spot because qualification is still mathematically open.
For Australia to miss out, several unlikely results would need to happen. South Africa would have to score 200 batting first and beat Bangladesh by 167 runs. India would then need to defeat Australia by 91 runs or chase the target with 11.5 overs to spare.
Both teams will know the qualification scenarios before the toss. Australia will look to continue their unbeaten run, while India will aim to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
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