England cricketers Kate Cross and Alex Hartley have clarified that their criticism of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final scheduling was aimed at tournament policy, not the Indian team.

Following social media backlash, the pair stated on No Balls: The Cricket Podcast that they received abuse and death threats after misinterpretations of their remarks.

The controversy began when Cross and Hartley pointed out that the ICC's playing conditions guaranteed India the first semi-final slot on June 30 if they qualified, regardless of where they finished in their group.

They argued that structuring a global tournament's knockouts around one specific team—even if it is to maximize broadcasting revenue—undermines the fairness of the competition.

After their comments went viral on social media, the duo received abusive messages and death threats from users who believed the players were attacking the Indian team.

"That post received 450 comments. There seems to have been some confusion because I don't think what we said warranted the death threats and abuse we received," Cross commented on the extent of the backlash.

"We would like to clarify that this has nothing to do with India. According to the ICC, the scheduling was done to optimise viewership and attendance in the UK while also considering the global audience."

The controversy became a moot point as India failed to qualify for the semifinals after losing to Australia in their final Group A clash.

India's early exit voided the ICC's special semi-final scheduling provision. Since the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side did not qualify, the tournament reverted to a standard knockout bracket.

Australia will face West Indies in the first semi-final on Tuesday (June 30) at The Oval, while England will lock horns with South Africa in the second semi-final on Thursday (July 2) at the same venue.

The winners will square off in the title clash, scheduled for Sunday (July 5) at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.