Arch-rivals India and Pakistan have not played each other in a bilateral series since early 2013. However, both teams have locked horns against each other in every ICC event for the last 10 years.
Starting with the 2013 Champions Trophy, India and Pakistan have battled across all editions of the 50-over World Cup, the T20 World Cup, and the Champions Trophy.
Though it is obvious that India vs Pakistan games are a treat for the public eye, more so in ICC events, former English cricketer David Lloyd feels that it should not be pre-scheduled.
“Not in the slightest. 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,” said Lloyd during a recent interaction
“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 added.
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Notably, the scheduling and the formatting of the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup have faced a lot of flak.