New Delhi: The ICC has confirmed that some of the matches held during the recently concluded African Games in South Africa and Zimbabwe were not given T20I status. The governing body said that matches involving the U.S.A.’s men’s and women’s teams and Zimbabwe’s men’s team were not given the T20I status, but matches involving the other six men’s teams and seven women’s teams did receive that status. This led to confusion among the fans at the games.
The ICC had clarified that all games played in accordance with the ICC Standard Men’s and Women’s Twenty20 International Playing Conditions and other ICC regulations pertaining to Twenty20 International Matches were given T20I status, apart from matches involving ‘A’ teams and age-group teams.
According to a statement on the ICC website, “The other participating countries, who are all Associate nations, sent their strongest available sides and understood themselves to be playing internationals, creating the confusion. The uncertainty about the status of the games had prompted South Africa and Zimbabwe to inquire whether it would impact their T20I rankings.
The ICC assured the two teams that any matches played at the African Games in South Africa and Zimbabwe will be given T20I status, as per the 2022 ICC document.