The former English cricketer Mike Atherton feels India and Pakistan matches in ICC events are played because of their “huge economic clout”. To some extent, this might be true as both teams face each other in almost all ICC events.
In the Asia Cup 2025, both India and Pakistan met each other three times: once in the group stage, once in the super-fours, and once in the final. Apart from the match, there was a lot of controversy off the pitch. In the first match, the Indian players did not shake hands with the Pakistani players. India won all three occasions, which also includes the Asia Cup 2025 final. Many of the viewers did not watch the first India-Pakistan match, but later everyone watched it.
Mike Atherton feels India and Pakistan matches in ICC events are played because of their “huge economic clout”
Basically, Mike Atherton feels that the India-Pakistan matches in the ICC events need to be neatly arranged. Both India and Pakistan played a series in 2012-2013, and since then, both teams haven’t played against each other. When we look at the ICC events from the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, both teams have met in every ICC event. Both teams have played in the group stages of all World Cups, three times in the Champions Trophy, and five times in the T20 World Cups.
The primary reason for making this possible in all ICC events is that it makes a lot of money for the broadcasters. Eventually, the prices of broadcasting for this match will be more than those of other matches. He also spoke about how ICC needs to look at the situation between the two countries. Then the plan should be made accordingly. Mike Atherton also mentioned that the reason for arranging the India-Pakistan match is to match the balance sheet.
Despite its scarcity (maybe, in part, because of its scarcity) it is a fixture that carries huge economic clout, one of the main reasons why the broadcast rights for ICC tournaments are worth so much — roughly USD 3 billion for the most recent rights cycle 2023-27
Due to the relative decline in the value of bilateral matches, ICC events have grown in frequency and importance, and so the India and Pakistan fixture is crucial to the balance sheets of those who would not otherwise have any skin in the game
If cricket was once the vehicle for diplomacy, it is now, clearly, a proxy for broader tensions and for propaganda. There is little justification, in any case, for a serious sport to arrange tournament fixtures to suit its economic needs and now that the rivalry is being exploited in other ways, there is even less justification for it
For the next broadcast rights cycle, the fixture draw before ICC events should be transparent and if the two teams do not meet every time, so be it
Eventually, the current ICC cycle is from 2023 to 2027. The next ICC cycle starts after 2027. Mike Atherton said that the ICC should make the draws transparent and should be done in front of everyone. It will be fair and honest. If both teams are drawn, then it’s okay, but if they do not draw, then let it be. This is exactly right, whatever Mike Atherton said.
