India and Pakistan have been held in the same group at ICC events for several years. The ratings and ticket sales generated by this meeting between the arch-rivals are extraordinary, and the ICC is taking every opportunity to make a profit in these ways.
Gavaskar said that not only have India and Pakistan been placed in the same group, but the other teams they will face in that stage are not too tough. Namibia, Netherlands and USA are the other three teams in Group A. The former India captain believes that if placed in an easy group, India and Pakistan will have a better chance of progressing to the next round.
“As always in recent World Cups, India and Pakistan are not only placed in the same group to guarantee at least one clash between the traditional rivals, but they are also invariably placed in a fairly easy group to qualify for the next round. So the real battle could well begin from the next stage of the tournament,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
In the previous edition of the T20 World Cup, the USA caused a huge upset when they defeated Pakistan in the group stage of the Super Over. Gavaskar opined that the US is a much better side heading into the impending World Cup as their players have had a lot of experience playing in Major League Cricket.
Gavaskar said sharing dressing rooms with top cricketers during franchise competitions ensures that players from associated countries do not get underwhelmed when they face stronger teams in the international arena.
“We saw the USA beat Pakistan in the last edition of the ICC T20 World Cup when they co-hosted the West Indies. They have since improved through experience and working with some of the best players in the world in Major League Cricket,” Gavaskar wrote.
“The best thing about these competitions is that they help take away the awe factor that players from emerging countries often feel towards some of the big names in football. Sharing dressing rooms with them, seeing how they prepare and how they deal with failure are things that cannot be learned at any university. That first-hand experience is what helps to drive their individual matches forward,” he added.
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