Final Super 8 Teams Confirmed for T20 World Cup
Following Bangladesh’s win over Nepal in Group D, the T20 World Cup’s Super 8 stage teams are now confirmed. With three unimportant matches remaining, the group stage will end on Tuesday, and the Super 8 stage will begin on Wednesday, June 19. Bangladesh finished second in Group D behind South Africa and will join Afghanistan, India, and Australia in Group 1 of the Super Eights. The other group was decided on Sunday when Australia beat Scotland, helping England reach the Super 8 stage.
Confusion Over Super 8 Seedings
There is confusion among fans regarding the Super 8 seedings and fixtures. For instance, India (A1) topped Group A and will face Australia, who topped Group B ahead of England but are seeded B2 in the Super 8. Despite their group finishes, India and Australia knew before the tournament started that they would face each other, no matter their positions in the top two of their groups.
Pre-Decided Matchups Explained
To further illustrate, Afghanistan and West Indies will face each other in their final game on Tuesday. Both teams are unbeaten so far, and either can top Group C. However, regardless of the match result, West Indies are seeded C2 and Afghanistan C1 because New Zealand failed to qualify for the Super 8s. This seeding arrangement has led to fan confusion.
ICC’s Pre-Tournament Seedings
The confusion arises from the ICC’s newly introduced seeding system. Here are the pre-tournament seedings:
- A1 – India
- A2 – Pakistan
- B1 – England
- B2 – Australia
- C1 – New Zealand
- C2 – West Indies
- D1 – South Africa
- D2 – Sri Lanka
This system predetermined the Super 8 groups as follows:
Group 1
- India (A1)
- Australia (B2)
- Afghanistan (C1)
- Bangladesh (D2)
Group 2
- England (B1)
- USA (A2)
- West Indies (C2)
- South Africa (D1)
India will face Australia in their final Super 8 game on June 24. The predetermined seedings have made the fixtures clear, even if the fans find it confusing.
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