Michael Atherton Slams Slams deliberate scheduling of India-Pakistan matches in major ICC tournaments

Former England captain Michael Atherton has strongly criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for intentional planning India-Pakistan Matches in major ICC tournaments, accusing the governing body of putting commercial interests above sporting integrity. Writing in the Times, Atherton called for a transparent, merit-based fixture process instead of the current practice of arranging often high-profile meetings between these rivals. He emphasized that while the India-Pakistan matches generate huge global viewership and revenue, exploiting this rivalry diminishes the spirit of fair competition and transforms cricket into a platform for political theatre.

Michael Atherton’s perspective on commercialization and political exploitation of the India-Pakistan rivalry

Atherton pointed out that the economic impact of India-Pakistan matches is huge, citing the ICC’s broadcast rights cycle for 2023-27 at an estimated $3 billion, a figure heavily boosted by these matches. As the two countries have not played a bilateral series since 2013 due to strained diplomatic relations, their meetings only happen only in ICC events and have been repeatedly orchestrated for commercial advantage. This scarcity has increased their marketability, but it has also turned the rivalry into a proxy for broader geopolitical tensions and propaganda. Atherton argues that cricket, once a vehicle for diplomacy, is now a stage for political posturing, with the fixture repeatedly arranged to satisfy economic and political agendas rather than sporting fairness.

The recent one Asia Cup 2025 Illustrated these tensions vividly, with on-field and off-field controversies overshadowing cricket. The India team refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts after the Pahalgam terror attack, and India refused to accept the tournament room from the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and Home Minister Mohs naqviwho subsequently retained the trophy, sparking outrage on both sides. Pakistani players were seen making provocative gestures during the tournament, and tension fell in the Women’s World Cup Harmanpreet Kaur And Fatima avoided handshakes at the throw. These politically charged moments have raised serious concerns about the continued manipulation of cricket fixtures for reasons outside the sport itself.

Also read: Record of India vs Pakistan in the final of multi-nation tournaments

Atherton calls for transparent planning and protection of 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 at every ICC event. His position is that there is little justification for a serious sport to make tournament battles based on financial gain, especially as the rivalry is increasingly exploited for non-sporting purposes. He recommends that for future cycles of the broadcast rights, the format’s directions should be clear and impartial, allowing teams to arrive naturally rather than by design. This, he said, is crucial to maintaining cricket’s moral and cultural balance and protecting it from being overwhelmed by political propaganda.

In short, Atherton’s criticism highlighted a critical intersection for Cricket Administration: balancing lucrative India-Pakistan clashes with maintaining the integrity of the game and distancing itself from political conflicts that threaten to overshadow the essence of the sport. The call for reform follows a year in which cricket’s greatest rivalry has been marked less by sportsmanship and more by conflict, with Cricket’s global governing body urging a rethink of the fixture’s policies.

Also read: Stats: Rohit Sharma finishes as India’s most successful ODI captain