India vs Pakistan, has always been in demand high voltage drama among the cricket fans. Although Pakistan is out of the on going T20 World Cup 2024, fans await next India vs Pakistan epic clash.
For 10 years, India and Pakistan have not played any bilateral series. Arch-rivals have clashed in the on going ICC Men’s World Cup group stage fixture. Teams play only world events with ICC, which makes sure their encounter at least once.
The scheduling and the formatting of the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup has faced a lot of criticism, especially of the Super 8s. David Llyod in particular feels pre-scheduling of matches by ICC should be stopped.
India vs Pakistan “Fixture” a manipulation?
During a chat on TalkSPORT, David Lloyd was asked if the ICC should stop formatting its major tournaments specifically in a way that India vs Pakistan is always fixed at least once. The fixture comes by placing the teams in a same group.
“Not in the slightest,” Bumble(Lloyd fondly known as), affirmed. Emphasizing on the independence of the marquee event, he further explained,
“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 if they do get drawn together – not that they are – but if they do, there is a romance to it.”
Games looses its unpredictability and thrilling appeal as Llyod pointed out, “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 to stuff. In this particular World Cup, you’re just trying to manipulate. It’s just wrong.”
He also pointed out the loopholes of the on going T20 World Cup 2024.
Loopholes T20 World Cup 2024
First during Super 8 stage, there was a single day gap between the matches, which was spent in travelling by teams rather than practicing. Also, in case of Australia there were no break between their matches.
Another irrational format is keeping the reserve day only for the first semi final match. The India vs England semi final does not have a reserve day while South Africa vs Afghanistan will have a reserve day.
Also, Llyod thinks of it as wrong that India has not played a single night game. This is only to make sure Indian audiences will be able to watch the game in prime-time hours.
“It just isn’t fair (to the teams),” he said.
“You can go round and round and talk about 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 of such commercial value, that overrides the competition itself. “
He strongly suggested, “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.”
India has entered the semi final of ICC T20 World Cup 2024. And the penultimate match between India and England will be at 10.30am Thursday morning, June 27 (local time) at Guyana’s Providence Stadium.
Tabinda Mir is a writer from Kashmir. She is an English Honours graduate and her interests primarily dwell in poetry and sports writing. She likes to cover Cricket as an avid fan. Apart from sports, her other publications include articles, poems and a letter to summer in the book titled, “Under The Summer Skies”.
Also, her leisure time activities include reading novels, poetry, non literary works, philosophies and writing poetry, short stories, articles on diverse themes.
