Former England captain Michael Atherton has sharply criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC), accusing it of prioritising commercial profit over the spirit of fair competition. In his column for The Times, Atherton condemned the ICC’s deliberate scheduling of India-Pakistan matches in major tournaments and called for a transparent, merit-based fixture system.

Atherton argued that while clashes between the two nations are immensely profitable, they erode the integrity of the sport. He claimed the ICC has been exploiting the rivalry’s marketability, tailoring tournament fixtures to maximise audience numbers and revenue.

“Despite its rarity—perhaps because of it—it’s a fixture with enormous economic pull,” Atherton wrote, pointing out that the ICC’s current broadcast rights cycle

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