Pakistan and India have a rivalry unlike another that always grabs the attention of cricket fans from all over the globe whenever the two teams play a match in International Cricket Council (ICC) events or Asia Cups.
The ICC deliberately makes sure that India and Pakistan are placed in the same group so that a PAK vs IND match is assured in any event because they have not played a bilateral series since Pakistan toured India in 2012-13 for two T20Is and three ODIs.
But, a World Cup is the only instance fans get to see this epic rivalry unfold and the involvement of ICC to fix the scheduling of the game is not accepted by renowned commentator David 'Bumble' Lloyd.
In an interview with TalkSPORT, Lloyd criticised ICC for deliberately putting the two rivals in the same group.
"It just isn't fair (to the teams). You can go round and round and talk about it forever. We're just manipulating the tournament for the benefit of a few. If you look at the TV audience in India, they would watch anything there and anytime. It is a religion. It is the be-all and end all. They would watch it and so it must be of such commercial value, that overrides the competition itself.
“And don't tell me the ICC devises it. Who does it? Whoever it is, this operating group must be told that whilst you're doing it, this must happen, that must happen and that it's a bit unfair to the teams. Come up with the best World Cup you can, you can put together for the supporter," he stated.
Bumble Lloyd advocated for India and Pakistan to be placed in groups just like the other teams are put through a draw and if done otherwise, the commentator called it “fixing.”
"You just spoke about the independence of the fixtures. We talk long and hard about fixing in cricket. That's fixed. It's just fixed for a major event. I think the romance of anything like this is if they do get drawn together – not that they are – but if they do, there is a romance to it.
“There's something for spectators to look forward to. So if it happens, then it becomes an event. The game itself is an event. You can't fix it. And that's only part of what we fix. We fix loads of stuff. In this particular World Cup, you're just trying to manipulate. It's just wrong,” he concluded.
Pakistan and India’s latest encounter came in the ongoing T20 World Cup group stages where Pakistan, after a good bowling show, lost the match to India as they failed to chase the target of 120 runs.
