India’s victorious Champions Trophy campaign has sparked renewed debates over the advantage of playing at a single venue. Former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain suggested that Rohit Sharma’s side gained from staying in Dubai throughout the tournament, while other teams had to travel between venues.
Due to geopolitical tensions with Pakistan, India did not play any matches there. Under the Hybrid Model, all of India’s games, including the semifinal and final, were hosted in Dubai, whereas the other fixtures were distributed across three Pakistani venues.
Several cricketers, including South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen and Australia’s Pat Cummins, also weighed in on India’s fixed schedule. After South Africa’s semifinal defeat to New Zealand, David Miller voiced his frustration, calling his team’s match schedule “not ideal.”
Glenn McGrath’s High Praise For india
However, Australian great Glenn McGrath dismissed concerns over an “unfair advantage” for India. Speaking to The Times of India, he said, “It is the way it is. India does not travel to Pakistan anymore. There was only one other thing – the matches had to be played in Dubai. You have to give credit to India; they played to the conditions. They know how to play on spinning tracks.”
McGrath further noted that playing in familiar conditions is a common occurrence in international cricket. “I do not think that they had an unfair advantage. It is like saying there is an unfair advantage if India play all their matches in India, if Australia play all their matches in Australia,” he added.
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Widely regarded as one of the best fast bowlers in history, McGrath also credited the Indian Premier League (IPL) for strengthening India’s limited-overs cricket. “Their IPL and T20 cricket has had a positive impact on one-day cricket. India are confident and they know their game well,” he said.
Highlighting the significance of all formats, he remarked, “It is important to protect Test cricket, but ODIs and World Cups are very important as well. India know the ODI game very well. It is a challenge for other teams to come over to India and play well. I like them to be challenged, but India are a quality team.”
