The showpiece event will be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has slammed the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the scheduling of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, claiming that no one will watch the tournament which will be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
Ashwin mentioned that early fixtures feature India against associate nations and such games can end up taking people's interest away from the competition.
He also pointed out the massive number of global events taking place one after another and drew a stark comparison with tournaments during his childhood which took place once every four years - something that did not cause fatigue and kept the fans hooked.
"No one is going to watch the ICC T20 World Cup this time. India vs USA, India vs. Namibia—these are games that will literally pull you away from the World Cup. World Cups used to happen once every four years. Because of that, the interest is used to build. India used to play England or Sri Lanka in the first round, and that was a lot more fun," said Ashwin in a video on his YouTube Channel 'Ash ki Baat'.
“Back in 1996, 1999 and 2003, when I was in school, the World Cup came once every four years. We collected World Cup cards, printed schedules and waited for it. That anticipation used to build naturally," he added.
Earlier, Ashwin expressed his fear about the future of ODI cricket, especially after the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
"I am not sure about the future of ODI after the 2027 World Cup. I am a little worried about it. Of course, I am following the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but the manner in which I followed the SMAT, I am finding it slightly difficult to follow," Ashwin said.
"Look, Rohit and Virat came back to the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and people started watching it. We have known that sport is always bigger than individuals, but at times these players need to come back to make the game relevant. The Vijay Hazare Trophy, of course, is a domestic competition that not a lot of people follow, but they did because Kohli and Rohit were playing. Even then, what happens when they stop playing ODIs?" he remarked.
(With IANS Inputs)