 "The sponsors and broadcasters would not agree to not having India vs Pakistan matches in ICC events. Image: Reuters")
A Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official has said that it’s a compulsion for the International Cricket Council (ICC) or other tournament organisers to arrange India vs Pakistan matches amid criticism of the global body by former England captain Michael Atherton . The former England opening batter Atherton has called for the ICC to stop ‘arranging’ India vs Pakistan matches in global tournaments, as he said that cricket is no longer being used as a ‘vehicle’ for diplomacy.
Referring to the major controversies that took place during the India-Pakistan matches in the Asia Cup 2025 , Atherton pointed out that cricket has now become a ‘proxy for broader tensions and for propaganda’ and hence ICC must stop fixing the fixtures to meet the economic needs.
The renowned broadcaster also asked the global body, which is headed by Jay Shah, to implement a ‘transparent’ fixture draw system for upcoming tournaments, which doesn’t necessarily ensure an India-Pakistan game.
Asia Cup trophy still at ACC headquarters
The recent Asia Cup schedule was made in such a way that India ended up playing three matches against Pakistan, including the final, which India won by five wickets. However, all the matches carried a massive political undertone as India refused to shake hands with Pakistan players, while some from Men In Green were caught making insensitive gestures related to the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
India also refused to take the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister, as the politician took the silverware back to his hotel. The BCCI and ACC are now engaged in a fight over Naqvi’s abuse of his position.
A report in Dainik Jagran states that the Asia Cup trophy continues to be at the ACC headquarters in Dubai. Naqvi, in a recent social media post, said that the Indian team can collect it from him at the ACC office .
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More ShortsIND vs PAK matches are a compulsion for ICC
The same media report also states that a BCCI official has shot down Atherton’s suggestions to the ICC, claiming that the global body is helpless due to the pressure from sponsors and broadcasters.
Giving a reality check about the cricket economy, the BCCI official said that even the withdrawal of a top team from a tournament is enough to make ICC lose sponsors.
“It’s easy to talk about all this, but will sponsors and broadcasters agree to it? In today’s situation, if any major team, not just India, withdraws from a tournament, it will be difficult to attract sponsors,” a BCCI official told Dainik Jagran.
This only indicates that India vs Pakistan matches in ICC tournaments would continue to be a trend despite the Asia Cup controversies. For the unversed, India have played Pakistan in all ICC events since 2013.