Michael Atherton urges ICC to rethink India-Pakistan fixtures amid Asia Cup 2025 fallout

After the Asia Cup 2025 controversy, Michael Atherton and others have urged the ICC to rethink scheduling automatic India vs Pakistan fixtures, stressing the need to keep cricket free from tensions.

India vs Pakistan (Image Credit: ACC)

The India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry has always been the showpiece of global tournaments, drawing unmatched viewership and financial gains for the ICC. However, the fallout from the Asia Cup 2025 has reignited debate over whether these high-voltage contests should continue to be scheduled by default in ICC events. Many believe the tension off the field has begun overshadowing the game itself.

During the Asia Cup, controversy dominated headlines, from disagreements at the toss to India declining to receive the trophy from Pakistan’s cricket board chief. What was meant to be a celebration of cricket instead became a symbol of political unease. This has led experts and fans alike to question whether the ICC should prioritize commercial interests over the spirit of the sport.

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Former England captain Michael Atherton has been particularly vocal, suggesting that forcing India and Pakistan into the same groups is counterproductive. According to him, these contests should emerge naturally through tournament progress rather than being artificially set up in the group stages. Atherton argued that cricket should avoid being a proxy for politics, noting that repeated controversies risk harming the credibility of ICC competitions.

"Despite its scarcity (maybe, in part, because of its scarcity), it is a fixture that carries huge economic clout, one of the main reasons why the broadcast rights for ICC tournaments are worth so much, roughly $3 billion for the most recent rights cycle in 2023-27,” Michael Artherton wrote In his column for The Times.

ICC faces pressure over tournament scheduling

If Atherton’s suggestion is taken seriously, it would represent a significant change in how global tournaments are structured. For years, ICC has ensured at least one guaranteed India-Pakistan clash at every World Cup and Champions Trophy, largely to maximize revenue. While this strategy has worked commercially, critics warn that continuing down this path could backfire if matches become more about off-field disputes than cricket itself.

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The call for change now puts ICC in a difficult spot. On one hand, broadcasters and sponsors push for these blockbuster encounters. On the other, players, analysts, and some sections of fans want the rivalry to regain its natural place, free from political baggage. Whether the ICC chooses money or balance will shape the future of one of sport’s most iconic rivalries.

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