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Shastri slams WTC rule change


Bangladeshpost
Published : 07 Mar 2021 07:52 PM

Agencies

India’s Head Coach Ravi Shastri has slammed the ICC’s decision to tweak the rules of the World Test Championship last year that complicated India’s path to the final. India were leading the table until November last year having accumulated 360 points in the period. 

However, Australia usurped India to the top spot despite having only 296 points following a change in rule.

The ICC had announced that the ‘percentage of points’ will determine the final standings since several tours got affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“I’m not even worried about the second cycle, I’m thinking about the first cycle,” Shastri said in a press conference when asked about the changes he would like to make in the next cycle. 

“Please don’t shift the goalposts. I am sitting at home in Covid in the month of October... you’ve got more points than any other team in the world. 360 at that time. Suddenly, a week later without playing cricket, there’s some rule that comes that we’re going to go on percentage system - where you go from number 1 to number 3 in a week.

“Fine, that’s because countries not wanting to travel, which are in the red zone. All acceptable. But I want to understand the logic behind this because what is the way forward for me? I have two tours left sitting on top of the table, leading comfortably by 60-70 points as opposed to any other team. They say now you’ve to go to Australia.. What have you got to do in Australia? You’ve to beat Australia. Now how many teams in the last 10 years have gone to Australia and are guaranteed to beat Australia?

“In the percentage system, you’ve to go to Australia and beat Australia,” Shastri remarked. 

“If you don't beat Australia, you come back home and beat England 4-0, you get to 500 points, you still don’t qualify. So we’ve had to dig deep. We’ve had to go down every hole to find water. We found it and earned our stripes to be in the final of the WTC - the biggest trophy in the world - with 520 points.

“I cannot say how proud I am of my Indian cricket team going through this tough period and qualifying for the WTC final against all odds. When you go from No. 1 to No. 3 sitting in your bedroom not playing cricket, and then you qualify with No. 1 in every department - Top of the table, ICC rankings, percentage rankings... tomorrow there might be some other workings that come, I think we’ll be No.1 in that also.”