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Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma downplays the advantage of playing all Champions Trophy matches in Dubai, but constant venue changes can impact rival teams.
Members of the India team during their Champions Trophy group stage match against New Zealand in Dubai. Picture: Surjeet Yadav/MB Media/Getty Images
One of the things guaranteed to unnerve or unbalance any sporting team in a long tournament is constantly changing match venues.
Frequent travelling can, subtly, lower a team’s focus. However, the team which stays – and plays – in a fixed and comfortable venue will have the edge, even if it is just psychological, over its opponents.
That’s why we take with a pinch of salt Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma’s assertion that his team’s preferential treatment – in being allowed to play all of its matches in the Champions Trophy tournament in Dubai – does not give it an advantage.
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He claims that, because there are four or five playing surfaces in the stadium in Dubai, that still leaves the team with a “question mark”.
The real question is, of course: why is India allowed to refuse to play in Pakistan, the host country for the Champions Trophy?
India claims “political tensions” would make it difficult or dangerous for its players in Pakistan.
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The other three teams, including South Africa, must, therefore, do the travelling.
If any of them made similar objections, they would be excluded, we believe.
India is the Donald Trump of the sporting world: It has the money and has the power… and what it says goes.
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