BCCI official reacts to calls for Pakistan, India matches to be excluded from ICC events

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday responded to suggestions made to the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the exclusion of Pakistan-India matches from global tournaments.

Former England captain Michael Atherton had urged the ICC to stop scheduling fixtures that ensure India and Pakistan face each other in every major tournament.

According to an Indian news site, a BCCI official called it “easy” to give suggestions on Pakistan-India matches, but argued that broadcasters would not accept such a schedule which did not feature the blockbuster clash between the arch rivals.

“It is easy to talk about all this, but will sponsors and broadcasters agree? In the current situation, if any major team, not just India, pulls out of a tournament, it will be difficult to attract sponsors,” the report quoted the BCCI official as saying.

Atherton’s remarks follow tensions and controversy following last month’s 2025 T20 Asia Cup, where the two arch-rivals met three times, including in the final.

The event was marred by heated exchanges, with Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav also refusing to shake hands with his Pakistani counterpart Salman Agha.

The animosity extended beyond the men’s event, as the skippers of the two women’s teams, Pakistan’s Fatima Sana and India’s Harmanpreet Kaur, also avoided shaking hands after their Women’s ODI World Cup match in Colombo on October 5.

Writing in his column for The Times (UK), Atherton admitted that the ICC’s decision to schedule India-Pakistan fixtures in global tournaments had strong commercial and diplomatic motivations.

The two teams have faced each other in the group stage of all 11 ICC events held since 2013.

“Despite its rarity – or perhaps because of it – this fixture has enormous economic weight,” Atherton wrote.

“This is one of the main reasons why the broadcast rights for ICC tournaments are so valued, around $3 billion for the 2023-2027 cycle,” he added.

He further noted that with bilateral cricket losing financial value, ICC events have gained importance, making the India-Pakistan clash a crucial factor for broadcasters and stakeholders.

However, Atherton argued that the match has now become a platform for political and emotional display rather than sporting competition.

“If cricket was once a vehicle for diplomacy, it has now clearly become a proxy for wider tensions and propaganda,” he said.

“There is little justification for a serious sport to manipulate tournament schedules solely for economic gain. Given the way rivalry is exploited, there is even less reason to continue this practice.”

The 57-year-old concluded by urging the ICC to ensure transparency in future tournament draws.

“For the next broadcast rights cycle, the draw should be transparent – ​​and if India and Pakistan don’t meet every time, so be it.”