Ever since stopping bilateral cricket in 2013, India and Pakistan only faced off in the ICC events since then. Seeing the massive hype and money-making possibility from the India v Pakistan matches, the ICC makes sure that both teams clash atleast once in any tournament.
But while it is obvious that India vs Pakistan games are a treat for the public eye, more so in ICC events, it should not be pre-scheduled, feels former English cricketer David Lloyd.
"You just spoke about the independence of the fixtures. We talk long and hard about fixing in cricket. That's fixed. It's just fixed for a major event. I think the romance of anything like this is if they do get drawn together – not that they are – but if they do, there is a romance to it. There's something for spectators to look forward to. So if it happens, then it becomes an event. The game itself is an event. You can't fix it. And that's only part of what we fix. We fix loads of stuff. In this particular World Cup, you're just trying to manipulate. It's just wrong,” Lloyd said on TalkSPORT when asked if the ICC should stop formatting its major tournaments in a way that India and Pakistan clash atleast once.
The scheduling and formatting of the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup have drawn a lot of criticism, particularly in the Super 8s. Teams have essentially had one-day gaps between matches, or no breaks in the case of Australia, and that one day is spent traveling, leaving little time for players to train.
Another ludicrous lesson from the World Cup is the fact that the rules for both semi-finals change. The India vs. England semi-final does not include a reserve day, although the South Africa vs. Afghanistan game does.
Also, all of the Indian team games have been day matches, to make them suited for the Indian audience in prime time in the Indian subcontinent. And that's what's wrong, adds Lloyd.
"It just isn't fair (to the teams). You can go round and round and talk about it forever. We're just manipulating the tournament for the benefit of a few. If you look at the TV audience in India, they would watch anything there and anytime. It is a religion. It is the be-all and end-all. They would watch it and so it must be of such commercial value, that overrides the competition itself. And don't tell me the ICC devises it. Who does it? Whoever it is, this operating group must be told that whilst you're doing it, this must happen, that must happen, and that it's a bit unfair to the teams. Come up with the best World Cup you can, you can put together for the supporter,” Lloyd added.
(Hindustan Times inputs)
