Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra slammed the World Test Championship schedule, as there will be no India vs Pakistan matches in the 2023-25 cycle. The schedule was recently announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The last two World Test Championship cycles too did not feature a Test series between the arch-rival nations.
In a video on his Youtube channel, Aakash Chopra questioned the absence of India vs Pakistan test series from the schedule of the three cycles. He expressed that the two countries do not play in the World Test Championship, despite it being one of the most-anticipated rivalry. Aakash Chopra said,
“You don’t play against all teams. Can you imagine an ICC event in this decade where India-Pakistan don’t play at all, that they don’t play bilaterals against each other, so they won’t play in ICC events as well – it never happens like that.”
“The truth is that they get them to play the first or second match so that the tournament gets off to a good start because the commerce and economics say that India-Pakistan’s rating will go sky-high. So is WTC not an ICC event?” he added.
I feel it should happen: Aakash Chopra on India vs Pakistan series in WTC
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra further expressed that India does not play bilateral series against Pakistan, but plays against them in the ICC tournaments. He added that World Test Championship should also feature a test series between them as it is an ICC event. Chopra opined that he is unsure whether the WTC is an ICC tournament or just bilateral cricket. He said,
“You get the ICC mace in the end and ICC hosts the final. So all the matches should come under the ICC’s purview because this championship itself is ICC’s. If that is the case, we don’t have a series even once in four years – that is not fine.”
“In fact, there won’t be a single India-Pakistan series in six years at home, away, neutral venue – nothing. I feel it should happen. If it happens in ICC events, this is also an ICC event. If it is not, please say that it is not and that it is just bilateral cricket, and that we have said it is an ICC event just to glamorize it,” he added.
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