Statement comes after former England captain Mike Atherton, in a column published recently, urged International Cricket Council (ICC) to stop “arranging” India-Pakistan fixtures in tournaments
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Oct 8th, 2025) The board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has rejected any suggestion of avoiding matches against Pakistan in international cricket events, sources said.
The statement comes after former England captain Mike Atherton, in a column published recently, urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to stop “arranging” India-Pakistan fixtures in tournaments. Atherton argued that repeatedly placing the traditional rivals in the same group is driven solely by financial gain and is increasingly politicizing cricket.
He recommended that the ICC ensure transparency in tournament draws before the next broadcasting cycle. Atherton emphasized that in any serious tournament, match fixtures should not be determined purely for commercial interests, and if India and Pakistan do not meet, it should be based on fairness rather than financial considerations.
The demand followed controversies during the recent Asia Cup, where Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav reportedly did not shake hands with Pakistani captain Salman Ali Agha during the toss and later refused to receive the trophy from the Asian Cricket Council’s Pakistani president, Mohsin Naqvi.
Indian media reports quoted a BCCI official responding to Atherton’s suggestion by saying, “It is easy to make such statements, but will the sponsors and broadcasters agree?” The official added that in today’s circumstances, if India or any major team were to withdraw from a tournament, attracting sponsors’ attention would become extremely difficult.
Meanwhile, the Asia Cup trophy remains at the ACC headquarters in Dubai due to India’s stance. Mohsin Naqvi has clarified that if India wants the trophy, Suryakumar Yadav should personally collect it from the ACC headquarters.
