I do like the new (T20 World Cup) format: Matthew Cross | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 2024

“It’s nice to have four games, three games feels really quick,” said Scotland’s vice-captain Matthew Cross praising the format of the 2024 T20 World Cup that provides Associate nations more game than the previous two editions. 

In 2021 and 2022, the lower-ranked sides had to start in the preliminary stage and qualify for the Super 12s stage, which consisted of the top eight sides. However, this World Cup, all 20 teams start together, divided into four groups of five teams each. Thus, this format guarantees four games for all sides and provides Associate nations with an opportunity to lock horns with the top full member nations. 

“The opportunity is greater because we get to play two of the top teams, any which group you end up in,” Cross said on the eve of Scotland’s tournament opener against England on Tuesday (June 4). 

“So, that’s not always guaranteed. And I think the cut-throat Associate world means that it’s a scrap to get through from the qualifier. You know, we had it hard with getting so close two years ago. So, I do quite like the new format and I think there’s a good opportunity for a team that plays well enough to progress.

“Look we’ve got four games and we’ve got to win four games, I think there’s nothing too complicated about it. They’re all teams – well, I was going to say they’re all teams we’ve beaten – we’ve not beaten Australia, but we’ve beaten three of the four teams so three out of four wins is going to be good enough to take us through. But we’ve got to take each day as it comes and we’ve got to earn the right to win these games,” the wicketkeeper-batter explained. 

Scotland and England have never locked horns in a T20I before. However, the last time Scotland faced England was in a one-off ODI in Edinburgh in 2018. Scotland managed to beat their neighbours by six runs. That game would still be fresh in the minds of Cross who opened in that game, Richie Berrington, George Munsey and many other players who were also a part of that XI. Beeington is now Scotland’s skipper in this World Cup while Munsey is expected to be their opening batter. 

The surface in Barbados will be the same as the low-scoring tie between Oman and Namibia. However, while that was a night game, Scotland will play England in the 10.30 AM slot. Hence, adapting to the conditions would be critical, as also mentioned by Jos Buttler, the England skipper. 

“I think it’s going to be who adapts quickest. It’ll be a day-game tomorrow so the pitch will play differently, I’m sure. It’ll just be about who can adapt the quickest and find the best way to score runs. It might be a bit more attritional cricket in terms of it looked a bit lower and a bit slower, but I think we’ve been preparing for that. A lot of the Caribbean wickets have been quite similar, so I think we’re ready to go,” Cross said. 

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