East England captain Michael Atherton has strongly criticized International Cricket Council (ICC) For intentional scheduling india pakistan matches in major ICC tournaments, accusing the governing body of placing commercial interests above the integrity of the game. Writing in the Times, Atherton called for a transparent, merit-based fixture process, rather than the current practice of arranging frequent high-profile encounters between these rivals. He said that while India-Pakistan matches generate huge global audiences and revenues, exploitation of this rivalry undermines the spirit of fair competition and turns cricket into a platform for political theatre.
Michael Atherton’s perspective on the commercialization and political exploitation of the India-Pakistan rivalry
Atherton pointed out that the economic clout of India-Pakistan fixtures, worth an estimated $3 billion, is heavily boosted by these matches, citing the ICC broadcast rights cycle for 2023-27. Since the two countries have not played a bilateral series since 2013 due to diplomatic ties, their encounters occur only in ICC events and are frequently orchestrated for commercial gain. This reduction has increased their marketability, but it has also made the rivalry a proxy for broader geopolitical tensions and propaganda. Atherton argues that cricket, once a vehicle for diplomacy, is now a platform for political posturing, with fixtures frequently arranged to satisfy economic and political agendas rather than sporting fairness.
recently asia cup 2025 These tensions were clearly portrayed, with cricket overshadowed by on-field and off-field controversies. The Indian team refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts after the Pahalgam terror attack, and India refused to accept the tournament trophy from the Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman and Interior Minister Mohsin NaqviWho then retained the trophy, drawing outrage from both sides. Pakistan players were seen making provocative gestures during the tournament, and tensions flared up at the Women’s World Cup during the captaincy Harmanpreet Kaur And fatima sana Avoided handshake in toss. These politically charged moments have raised serious concerns about the continued manipulation of cricket fixtures for reasons beyond the game.
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Atherton calls for transparent scheduling and protecting the integrity of cricket
Atherton has urged ICC administrators and tournament organizers to resist the temptation to manipulate tournament fixtures to serve economic and political interests. He advocates a transparent and merit-based fixture system where India and Pakistan do not necessarily meet in every ICC event. His stance is that there is little justification for a serious sport to be based on financial gain, especially as rivalries are increasingly being exploited for non-sporting purposes. He recommends that for future broadcast rights cycles, fixture draws should be clear and fair, with teams meeting naturally rather than by design. This, he insists, is important to preserve the moral and cultural balance of cricket and prevent it from being overwhelmed by political propaganda.
In short, Atherton’s critique highlights an important crossroads for cricket administration: balancing lucrative India–Pakistan clashes with maintaining the integrity of the game and distancing it from political conflicts that threaten to erode the essence of the game. The call for reform follows a year where cricket’s biggest rivalries have been marked less by sportsmanship and more by conflict, leading to cricket’s global governing body being urged to rethink sustainability policies going forward.
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