‘Pakistan’s decision could fracture and weaken international cricket, as franchise cricket advances and strengthens’ – Michael Atherton
The uncertainty can lead to JioStar using this episode to leverage of all this uncertainty to push down prices in the future, which will hit the less financially secure countries, the former England captain claimed
The ripple effect of Pakistan boycotting its India fixture at the T20 World Cup, could be felt by all of international cricket, beyond the two feeding countries. Linking the possibly cancelled game with broadcast money that it yields, Michael Atherton predicted grim tidings for the sport, writing in The Times.
While India and Pakistan are tangled deeply in political turmoil, it is the financial consequences that could cause a domino destructive effect on all of cricket. “The game and the players are being used for political ends,” former England captain Michael Atherton told The Times. “The financial consequences for the broadcasters, and, therefore, in turn, for the game will be substantial in the immediate term as the India v Pakistan game is the most lucrative of any in world cricket,” he further continued.
Atherton’s fears surrounded the pegging down on future broadcast deals. “JioStar is likely to use the leverage of all this uncertainty to push down prices in the future, which will hit the less financially secure countries (basically all but India, England and Australia) including Pakistan,” he said.
The marquee faceoff, even if it’s gotten predictably one-sided and soporific, still evokes interest at ICC events. But more crucially, the revenues earned are diverted to other boards, including vulnerable ones like West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa, and other nations. Atherton foresaw a situation where the disappearance of this laborious but lucrative tie, will reduce share of the pie extended to nations, outside of Big 3. While Pakistan might (or might not) have crunched its numbers before pulling this stunt, it sends all of cricket into a tailspin.
“The international game continues to fracture and weaken, as franchise cricket advances and strengthens,” Atherton said.
In Australia, The Age, claimed that each game between India and Pakistan staged from 2023-2027, as part of the US$3 billion deal between the ICC and host broadcaster JioStar, had an estimated value of around US$250 million (AU$358 million). ‘It’s why the ICC has manipulated scheduling to ensure the two nations have met during the group stage of every ICC men’s event across the last 13 years,’ Age wrote.
