Ashraf Ali Siddiqui looks at a sporting rivalry
Issues with Cricket World Cup – With the extremely nationalistic regime in saddle in India it was quite obvious that the Indian cricket authorities will pay no heed to the warning given by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that Pakistan would boycott the World Cup if it is not allowed to host the Asia Cup as planned. Though it is anticipated that there would be no response to Pakistani complaints from Indian side but the problem has been compounded by the silence from International Cricket Council (ICC) about the matter. In the meanwhile it has been reported that Asian Cricket Council headed by Jay Shah, who is also the secretary of the Board of Cricket Control in India, is looking to move the Asia Cup to a neutral venue. The situation will snowball into a major crisis if not addressed soon. It is interesting to note that PCB has proposed a hybrid model so that India can play their matches in the UAE but Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have raised objections to it compelling the PCB to suggest Pakistan’s hosting the first four matches before the tournament moves to the UAE. The PCB has said, however, that it expects India to adopt the same approach for Pakistan when it hosts the World Cup later this year with Pakistan playing at a neutral venue. The stand-off threatens to continue resulting in the lack of announcement of the schedule even five months before the World Cup is set to begin. The ICC has taken a murky stand on the matter and maintains that schedule will be announced once the Indian Premier League season ends.
It is duly noted that ICC’s muted response has complicated matters and that instead of resolving the matter it is showing pronounced partiality towards the Indian cricket authorities. The reason for such an attitude is quite obvious as ICC’s proposed financial model for the next cycle shows that it remains heavily reliant on India which is set to receive almost 40 per cent of ICC revenues from 2024-27, with Pakistan obtaining just under 6 per cent. Matches between the rivals generate a huge amount of cash for the ICC and this where the ICC tilts in India’s favour. ICC should realise Pakistan’s standing in the game and ensure that the sport does not suffer on account of India-Pakistan politics and come forward quickly to resolve the issues. The Weekender
