Former English cricketer David Lloyd has voiced strong criticism against the International Cricket Council (ICC) for pre-scheduling India-Pakistan matches in international tournaments, calling it an unfair practice.
In an interview with TalkSPORT, Lloyd emphasized that while India-Pakistan clashes are eagerly awaited by fans, their occurrence should not be predetermined. He argued that the spontaneity of the draw should be preserved to maintain the excitement and fairness of the matchups.
"We talk long and hard about fixing in cricket. That's fixed. It's just fixed for a major event," said Lloyd. "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."
Lloyd also criticised the scheduling of the 2024 T20 World Cup, pointing out issues such as insufficient rest days between matches and inconsistent rules for the semi-finals.
He noted that India hasn't played any day-night games to accommodate prime-time viewing in India, which he sees as unfair to other teams.
"It just isn't fair to the teams," he said. "You'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."
Meanwhile, former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has sparked controversy by questioning the legitimacy of Indian bowler Arshdeep Singh’s ability to reverse swing the ball as early as the 15th over in their recent Super 8 Group 1 fixture against Australia. Speaking on a TV show, Inzamam expressed concerns that the ball was reversing too early, suggesting that the umpires should be more vigilant in monitoring such occurrences.
Inzamam’s comments have raised eyebrows, with some interpreting them as an insinuation of foul play. He pointed out that if the ball was reversing by the 15th over, it would imply that the ball was prepared for reverse swing by the 12th or 13th over.
