By The ICC’s handling of the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry in its competitions has sparked widespread interest and controversy, with many claiming that the organization is using the rivalry for financial gain.
Reasons for ICC’s Commercial Focus on Rivalry:
Revenue Generation: India-Pakistan matches have frequently broken viewership records, making them a key component of ICC’s revenue strategy. For example, the 2023 World Cup match drew 173 million TV viewers in India and 225 million internet viewers worldwide. These matches are crucial for the ICC’s $3.2 billion TV rights deal for 2024-2027. These high-stakes games help increase sponsorship deals and provide financial stability for the ICC, which distributes revenue to other cricket boards.
Deliberate Scheduling: Critics, including former English cricketer David Lloyd, have accused the ICC of “fixing” tournament formats to ensure India and Pakistan encounter each other at least once in big events. This procedure has remained steady since the 2013 Champions Trophy. Pre-scheduled matches are viewed as a strategy to enhance audience engagement and profitability, as opposed to permitting organic matchups through fair draws.
Hybrid hosting models: The ICC’s suggestion for a “hybrid model” in the 2025 Champions Trophy, where India’s matches will be hosted outside Pakistan due to political difficulties, demonstrates how far it will go to maintain this rivalry. The move assures that both teams participate while addressing logistical and political concerns.
Criticisms of the ICC Approach:
Compromising Fairness: * Some claim that prioritizing economic interests weakens tournament integrity. For example, scheduling matches during prime-time hours for Indian audiences or establishing unequal playing conditions for teams has been labelled as unfair manipulation.
Overexposure of the Rivalry: * Frequent India-Pakistan battles in ICC events may reduce the rivalry’s particular attractiveness. Organic matches based on merit could increase the unpredictability and excitement of events.
Political and logistical challenges: * The reliance on this rivalry frequently results in political problems, such as India’s unwillingness to travel to Pakistan or Pakistan’s refusal to hold matches outside of its boundaries. These factors hinder tournament planning and cause unnecessary controversy.
While the India-Pakistan rivalry unquestionably strengthens the ICC’s financial position and global cricket viewership, its strategic scheduling and management raise concerns about fairness and over-commercialization. The ICC appears to be “milking” this rivalry by ensuring its repetition in every major event, even if it means sacrificing competitive purity and logistical harmony.
