Former England Captain Advocates Against India-Pakistan Cricket Fixtures

Michael Atherton, a former England captain, has voiced his opinion that the ICC should no longer schedule India versus Pakistan matches in prominent tournaments. His comments follow the Men’s Asia Cup, where the final match between India and Pakistan was won by India. Atherton expressed his concerns about the controversies and political implications surrounding these matches. Writing in a column for The Times, Atherton conceded the economic and diplomatic benefits of such matches but maintained that the time has come to stop them due to the deteriorating political relationship between India and Pakistan. He observed that since 2013, India and Pakistan have played each other in every ICC competition, with the recent Asia Cup including three matches, all won by India. Atherton highlighted the economic importance of these fixtures, which significantly contribute to the value of broadcast rights for ICC tournaments. He stated that these fixtures have become a proxy for wider tensions and criticized the ICC for using the rivalry for commercial gain. Atherton suggested that the fixture draw for upcoming ICC events should be transparent and that the two teams should not necessarily meet every time.