Former India cricketer lambasts ICC over WTC 3 schedule sans India vs Pakistan blockbuster

India reached the finals of World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2021 and 2023. However, they have been on the losing side in the summit clash first to New Zealand and now to Australia at the recently-concluded match at the Oval. 

India has been a greatly successful side in Test cricket. But the heartbreak and disappointment of losing out in ICC tournament finals have frustrated the fans. International Cricket Council (ICC) has recently announced the schedule of WTC 3cycle. The fans are expecting that India will end their title drought in ICC tournaments by winning the WTC 3 title.

Meanwhile, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra had a different contention with the WTC. Chopra has questioned why the parent body doesn’t use its jurisdiction over the Test arena to influence the scheduling of the bilateral series within its cycle, in particular demanding a blockbuster series between India and Pakistan.

“You don’t play against all teams. But this is WTC and it’s an ICC event. It has been four years now... can you imagine an ICC event without India vs Pakistan? This can never happen,” said Chopra in his YouTube channel.

“So, is WTC not an ICC event? It’s an ICC mace, they host the final. So, all the matches that take place in the cycle should be in the purview of the ICC. It will be six years, and you didn’t have a single India-Pakistan series,” he added.

Notably, India vs Pakistan is a match that fans of both the countries look forward to the most since the arch-rivals haven’t contested in a bilateral Test series since 2007.