Following the conclusion of the Asia cup 2025, former England captain Michael Atherton has also called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to re examine the timing of matches that India and Pakistan can play in future competitions.
ICC On India vs Pakistan Fixtures
Atherton emphasized that the recent Asia cup 2025 was besmirched by political unrest such as the refusal of India to exchange hands with Pakistani players after the Pahalgam terror attack and the Operation Sindoor. Instead, he stressed that these games have turned into a proxy of greater tensions and denounced the ICC that tries to organize these games mostly with economical considerations. Atherton proposed that in the future draws of the fixtures will be transparent and in case India and Pakistan fail to meet, there will not be anything to worry about. Asia cup 2025 witnessed the three matches between India and Pakistan, with India winning all the matches. The tournament ended with the refusal of the trophy by India to the Interior Minister of Pakistan Mohsin Naqvi who is also the chairman of the Asian cricket council (ACC) and the Pakistan cricket board (PCB). This event also deteriorated the relationships between the two countries.
India vs Pakistan Fixtures Drawing Attention
The comments of Atherton have resulted in the wider discussion of the place of the sport of cricket in the world of diplomacy and sports commerce. Although others may claim that the high profile matches between India and Pakistan are necessary to the globalization of the sport, yet others suggest that the political aspect of the game has taken the center stage at the cost of the game. The request by Atherton to be transparent in the scheduling of fixtures is geared towards seeing cricket as a sport that brings goodwill and not a factor immersed in issues of politics.
