Former England captain Michael Atherton has sharply criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for what he calls the “forced overexposure” of the India–Pakistan rivalry in global tournaments. In a strongly worded commentary, Atherton said that cricket’s most politically charged fixture has drifted from being a sporting contest into what he described as “a proxy for propaganda.”
Atherton argued that the ICC’s pattern of ensuring India and Pakistan meet in almost every major event — whether in the group stage or through adjusted scheduling — has distorted both competition and credibility. He noted that since 2013, the two nations have been placed in the same group in nearly every ICC tournament, from the World Cup to the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy. According to him, that cannot be coincidental.
He accused the ICC of prioritizing commercial gain over sporting fairness, suggesting that the frequent pairing is financially motivated rather than merit-based. “There is a point at which a rivalry stops being organic and becomes engineered for broadcast revenue,” Atherton said, adding that the ICC had effectively “institutionalized” the India–Pakistan fixture because of its global TV draw and sponsorship value.
Referring to the 2025 Asia Cup, Atherton highlighted how the tournament saw multiple India–Pakistan encounters, including the final, amid rising diplomatic and symbolic tensions. From no handshakes between captains to players refusing ceremonial protocols, the matches became politically charged events rather than cricket contests. He called such incidents “symptoms of a deeper problem — where cricket is used as messaging, not mediation.”
Atherton urged the ICC to reintroduce transparency in tournament draws and allow the possibility of India and Pakistan not meeting until later stages, or even missing each other entirely in some editions. “True rivalry thrives on anticipation and unpredictability,” he wrote, “but what we have now feels manufactured — repetition has dulled its edge and corrupted its intent.”
He warned that continued manipulation of fixtures risks eroding public trust. “If every fan already knows India and Pakistan will face off in every tournament, it stops being sport and starts being programming,” Atherton argued. “That is a dangerous precedent, because it shifts cricket from competition to theatre.”
While acknowledging that India–Pakistan games remain the most-watched events in cricket history, he maintained that the ICC’s duty is to preserve integrity, not chase viewership metrics. “Revenue should never dictate reality,” he said. “If cricket is to retain its credibility as a global sport, it must detach from political theater and rediscover fairness in scheduling.”
Atherton’s remarks have reignited debate across cricket circles, dividing opinion between those who see India–Pakistan fixtures as vital to the sport’s appeal and others who believe they have become exploitative spectacles. His conclusion was blunt: “Cricket once helped ease tensions between nations. Today, it reflects them. And until administrators find the courage to change that, it will remain a proxy for propaganda — not peace.”
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