IND vs PAK Controversy: The recent games between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 and now the Women’s World Cup 2025 have raised new questions about whether the matches should take place between both teams in the near future or not. The Asia Cup 2025 final took place on September 28th, and the Indian team lifted the trophy. The thing that became a topic of controversy was that the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s Interior Minister and head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
The team also refused to shake hands with Pakistani players in all the games played; this move was taken to express solidarity with the victims of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The Indian and Pakistani teams met three times in the tournament, including once in the final, and India won every game in the recently concluded tournament.
Following this, former England captain Michael Atherton has suggested that the ICC should not hold further matches between India and Pakistan until this issue is resolved. Atherton raised objections about how cricket is no longer just a sport but has become a medium for politics and publicity.
He wrote that it is unfair to plan cricket tournaments based on economic interests, especially when these matches are being held solely due to specific audience-building or political pressures. He also said that in the upcoming broadcast rights era, it should be ensured that match scheduling is transparent, and it should be okay if the two teams do not meet every time.
IND vs PAK Controversy: New Challenges In Front Of BCCI
When asked for a response from BCCI offices on Atherton’s suggestions, a BCCI official, speaking on this condition, said that talking is easy, but actually doing is difficult. He explained that if a major team, not just India, but any team, pulls out of a tournament, sponsors and broadcasters will not accept it.
Tournaments involve issues such as the number of matches, advertising rights, and viewership. He also emphasized that India and Pakistan typically meet only in multilateral tournaments—such as the World Cup, Champions Trophy, and Asia Cup. They haven’t played a bilateral series since 2013. Since then, the two teams have faced each other in every ICC tournament.
IND vs PAK: A Major Concern In Future
These controversies raise the question of how far politics can enter cricket and how the integrity of the game can be preserved. Is it possible to ensure that matches are planned solely in the spirit of the game through economic interference? Is there a way to improve relations between the teams so that spectators, players, and fans are all satisfied? And can the ICC and the respective boards improve regulations and transparency to address such challenges?
This dispute isn’t limited to cricket; it also involves emotions, political sentiment, and national identity. This impacts not just the players but also the fans and the future of cricket across the country. Unless all parties work together to resolve such situations, these debates will persist and decisions will be difficult.
