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And once again, magically, India and Pakistan placed in the same group in an ICC tournament...

MenInG

MenInG

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So as per news reports, India and Pakistan are in the same group for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Whilst this is great news for ICC and the moneymen, I would like to ask which other sport organizes its tournaments like this?

Normally you have draws and groups are chosen like this.

In cricket, they seem to follow some other logic!

Does this put into question the whole group concept when its chosen so deliberately?
 
Well cricket is a unique sport where 90% of the audience is Indian and Pakistani. This is genuinely the only 'big' group game in the tournament.

The last two WT20 encounters have been top tier entertainment as well why, would the ICC sell out on this opportunity?
 
Turning cricket into WWE!

To me the great fun of these tournaments is to find out who is in the group (group of death etc) - with this style, it's boring.
 
There is simply no point expecting ICC to separate India and Pakistan at an ICC event. All the boards want that. It's not as if it's just BCCI or PCB just pushing for it. Broadcasters will only pay this much for ICC events if they are guaranteed IND v PAK. All boards will have to take cuts if this contest does not happen.
 
I feel ICC likes the fact that there's no more bilaterals between the neighbours. This means the ICC games sell at a premium.
 
So ICC tournaments are some convoluted way of having India/Pak games - Shouldn't the BCCI do everything in their power (and believe me they have it on ICC) to not play their enemy?
 
MenInG said:
So ICC tournaments are some convoluted way of having India/Pak games - Shouldn't the BCCI do everything in their power (and believe me they have it on ICC) to not play their enemy?
Click to expand...
Yeah, I also find that interesting. BCCI could easily arm twist ICC into relegating Pakistan into different groups. But I guess money over their so called "principles" is more important to them.
 
MenInG said:
So ICC tournaments are some convoluted way of having India/Pak games - Shouldn't the BCCI do everything in their power (and believe me they have it on ICC) to not play their enemy?
Click to expand...
BCCI doe not have issue with playing Pakistan. The issue is not letting Pakistan benefit financially - hence no bilateral series

Revenues from ICC events go to ICC. But bilateral series revenue goes to host board. Same reason there is no trade & commerce with Pakistan. Its similar to BDS movement against Israel which most Pakistanis support wholeheartedly
 
BCCI's thinking - we dont like Pakistan.. but in world cups, its a guaranteed win and a massive money maker.. no brainer really as to why they always end up in the same group. Im assuming the hope for everyone involved is that they play on multiple occassions in the event in order to maximise revenue. (who are we kidding.. its great for the fans too)
 
Interesting stats from ICC

So it seems that the India Pakistan game was NOT the most popular game in CWC23

1703676766603.png
 
Sorry but what is the issue?

I thought people love this context and call it an El-Classico of cricket. So ICC is simply giving what fans want to watch. Not following what is the issue here?
 
Don't see what the issue is, if anything this is a positive example of this kind of influence.

Bilaterals aren't being played between the two sides anymore and a test series is a far flung dream, let the fans have their grudge match.
 
Well well this is quite revelation.

India v Pakistan having the most viewers was always a given. This is a reflection of Pakistan's decline and the gulf widening between both sides.
 
topspin said:
Well well this is quite revelation.

India v Pakistan having the most viewers was always a given. This is a reflection of Pakistan's decline and the gulf widening between both sides.
Click to expand...

There is very little gulf in T20 cricket. Pakistan has beaten us by 10 wickets in 2021 Dubai and narrowly lost to Kohli in 2022 MCG. This time India will be without Kohli, Rohit, KL, Shami and will be going with youngsters led by either Pandya or SKY. So it will be a glorious chance for Pakistan to beat us.

In ODIs & tests of course the gulf between the 2 teams is massive.
 
For clarity the figures earlier in the thread are for mobile streams in India on Disney Hotstar

The decision to make coverage freely available for mobile users via Disney+ Hotstar in India led to a whopping 295 million LIVE Tournament viewers tuning in. Across the event, there were five world records broken on Disney+ Hotstar for digital peak concurrency, with the final attracting cricket’s highest concurrent audience ever, having already made history at four other 2023 World Cup matches, demonstrating the appeal of cricket and the excitement the ODI format continues to offer:

www.icc-cricket.com

Biggest Cricket World Cup ever smashes Broadcast and Digital records

Official ICC Cricket website - live matches, scores, news, highlights, commentary, rankings, videos and fixtures from the International Cricket Council.
www.icc-cricket.com www.icc-cricket.com


It's plausible that as the tournament progressed more people became aware Disney Hotstar was streaming the game for free and tuned in.

India v Pakistan Tv numbers were around 76 Million ( for India only I believe) + 35 million with the DIsney streams.
 
The 2024 Twenty20 World Cup draw is set to include a second group stage where the top teams are already aware of their starting positions.

The tournament will feature 20 nations that will initially be split into four groups of five. The countries have already received their competition opponents.

In Group B, which will be played solely in the Caribbean, the defending champions, England, are scheduled to compete against Australia, Scotland, Namibia, and Oman.

Group A, which will be played entirely in the USA, will see Ireland competing against India and Pakistan. The match between India and Pakistan will take place at Eisenhower Park.

The Super Eight draw will be based on pre-tournament seedings, irrespective of whether teams finish first or second in their groups.

If they advance through the group stage, England, based on rankings, is anticipated to compete against the host team, West Indies, as well as Pakistan and South Africa in the Super Eight stages of the tournament. This is expected even if all these teams top their initial groups.

The tournament format has been shared with the competing nations and, barring any last-minute changes, will be officially announced soon. In Group C, the West Indies will compete against New Zealand, Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda. The final group, which is the only one to feature matches in both the US and the West Indies, will see South Africa competing against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, and Nepal.

Credits: Daily Telegraph
 
Last edited by a moderator:
When you've got 4 different groups the 4 lowest ranked teams all ending up split between only 2 groups is a bit ridiculous.
 
So India vs Pakistan has been made almost meaningless, as both teams can comfortably lose that game and have it affect absolutely nothing in terms of progression.

Instead of rigging the group stage, ICC should have made it so the game was played in the Super 8's instead. But given what happened last time in the Carribbean i guess they didn't want to take any risk.
 
Keeping eyes peeled for tickets to both Pakistan vs. India and USA vs. Pakistan. One because I'm unlikely to ever get a better shot to get tickets, and the other because it's unlikely USA will ever play Pakistan in cricket ever again.

And as a born US citizen of Pakistani parents I can't possibly lose that match. Either the US pulls a giant upset or Pakistan keeps motoring through. And yes, I will cheer USA in that match.
 
MenInG said:
Interesting stats from ICC

So it seems that the India Pakistan game was NOT the most popular game in CWC23

View attachment 140714
Click to expand...

The viewership likely increased as India won each game, reaching its peak during the finals. When a team performs well, more fans tend to tune in, and the significance of a final match often attracts even more viewers. So, with India's success, the number of people watching probably went up, especially during the finals.
 
They don't have the confidence both teams will meet in a semi or final. Hence this foolproof schedule.
 
Pakistan should call the bluff and not turn up just once. Would be lovely to see the BCCI and that couch potato Jay Shah scramble and panic.
 
Varun said:
Pakistan should call the bluff and not turn up just once. Would be lovely to see the BCCI and that couch potato Jay Shah scramble and panic.
Click to expand...

Jay Shah became secretary of BCCI in 2019. ICC is petting India and Pakistan in the same group since CT 2013. This trend was started by N.Srinivasan for the dollar value. I know you don't like BJP and Jay Shah but everything is not their fault.
 
ICC rigging draws as usual. Not good for India, Pakistan as this fixture takes an emotional toll on the players because of the hype and expectations, now amplified because we don't play bilaterals.
 
England, Australia, India and Pakistan got the easiest draws.

Quite like this group format though. Room for surprises but without it all hinging on 1 game to decide fate in the group stage.
 
In just four months, the U.S. will be the focus of the cricket world for the first time as anticipation builds for the sport's marquee event of the year. All eyes in June will be on the T20 World Cup in a potentially era-defining tournament held in the U.S. and the Caribbean.

With so much at stake for cricket's development in the U.S. - with the popular British Commonwealth game's power brokers trying to infiltrate the world's biggest sports market - it is inevitable that India and Pakistan will be played in New York.

It is the most heated rivalry arguably in sports given the intense political situation for the nuclear-armed neighbors, who have fought three wars against each other since becoming independent nations in 1947. The geopolitical friction means they sadly rarely play each other in cricket with bilaterals non-existent for over a decade and likely to be on pause indefinitely.

But the scarcity does fuel anticipation every time they do meet and a new chapter will be written when the foes play in New York on June 9.

Tickets will not be cheap for this historic event after the event's public ballot opened with the seven-day window closing on February 7.

A standard ticket for the India-Pakistan match in New York will cost $175, while the standard plus is priced at $300 and premium rises to $400.

The International Cricket Council said the ballot was not a first-come, first-served system. Any remaining tickets not reserved in the ballot will go on general sale from February 22, but these will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

SportsMoney Playbook: Sign up for SportsMoney Playbook for the latest sports news and analysis of valuations, signings, gambling and billionaire owners.

It is almost certain that the India-Pakistan blockbuster will be a sell-out in a clear indication that it is the hottest ticket of the tournament. The match will be played at the 34,000-seat modular stadium in Eisenhower Park, which is 30 miles east of Manhattan.

The first glimpse of Nassau County Stadium was revealed last month with the venue to host eight matches in cricket's marquee event of the year. There is set to be just one warm-up game in late May before the ground's first match on June 3 between South Africa and Sri Lanka.

New York's slate of games will end when U.S. - competing in their first World Cup of any format - faces a formidable challenge against India on June 12 before the tournament's latter stages is exclusively played in the Caribbean. Other matches in the U.S. will be held in Texas and Florida.

The T20 World Cup will be the culmination of a major recent push for the sport into the U.S. after so much pondering and failed attempts over many years previously.

Backed by the deep pockets of South Asian businessmen in Silicon Valley, the lucrative Major League Cricket tournament launched last July and the professional T20 tournament lured many top players in the world.

It was deemed a financial success after posting a profit of $8 million as I first reported in September. Just a few months after the MLC's first edition, cricket was included in the Los Angeles 2028 Games to end the sport's over 100-year absence at the Olympics.

And soon cricket's biggest event of 2024 will be held in New York with coveted tickets undoubtedly going to be snapped up with relish.

Forbes
 
ICC told to scrap pre-decided India vs Pakistan fixtures starting 2026 T20 World Cup: 'It's fixed. Trying to manipulate'

Even though India and Pakistan have not played each other in a bilateral series since early 2013, for the last 10 years, both teams have squared off in every ICC event. 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. But while it is obvious that India vs Pakistan games are a treat for the public eye, more so in ICC events, it should not be pre-scheduled, feels former English cricketer David Lloyd.

During a chat on TalkSPORT, Lloyd was asked if the ICC should stop formatting its major tournaments in a way that India and Pakistan are bound to play each other at least once – basically by pooling the two teams in the same group – 'Bumble', as he is fondly known, not in favour of 'fixing' matches.

"Not in the slightest," he said when asked if it'll be looked at as a sacrifice. “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. 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.”

The scheduling and the formatting of the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup has faced a lot of flak, especially in the Super 8s. Teams literally have had one-day gaps or, in the case of Australia – no breaks – between matches, and that one day gets spent in travelling, leaving almost no time for the players to practice.

Lloyd talks more loopholes in the 2024 T20 World Cup

Another absurd takeaway from this World Cup is how there are different rules for both semi-finals. The India vs England semi-final does not have a reserve day while the South Africa vs Afghanistan game does. India have not played a single day-night game in the tournament thus far, all because the Indian audiences back home will have the time, space and energy to watch the games during prime-time hours. And that's what's wrong, adds Lloyd.

"It just isn't fair (to the teams)," he said. "You can go round and round and talk about forever. We're just manipulating the tournament for the benefit of a few. If you look at the TV audience in India, they would watch anything there and anytime. It is a religion. It is the be all and end all. They would watch it and so it must of such commercial value, that overrides the competition itself. And don't tell me the ICC devises it. Who does it? Whoever it is, this operating group must be told that whilst you're doing it, this must happen, that must happen and that it's a bit unfair to the teams. Come up with the best World Cup you can, you can put together for the supporter."

SOURCE: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...xed-trying-to-manipulate-101719374331240.html
 
BouncerGuy said:
ICC told to scrap pre-decided India vs Pakistan fixtures starting 2026 T20 World Cup: 'It's fixed. Trying to manipulate'

Even though India and Pakistan have not played each other in a bilateral series since early 2013, for the last 10 years, both teams have squared off in every ICC event. 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. But while it is obvious that India vs Pakistan games are a treat for the public eye, more so in ICC events, it should not be pre-scheduled, feels former English cricketer David Lloyd.

During a chat on TalkSPORT, Lloyd was asked if the ICC should stop formatting its major tournaments in a way that India and Pakistan are bound to play each other at least once – basically by pooling the two teams in the same group – 'Bumble', as he is fondly known, not in favour of 'fixing' matches.

"Not in the slightest," he said when asked if it'll be looked at as a sacrifice. “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. 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.”

The scheduling and the formatting of the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup has faced a lot of flak, especially in the Super 8s. Teams literally have had one-day gaps or, in the case of Australia – no breaks – between matches, and that one day gets spent in travelling, leaving almost no time for the players to practice.

Lloyd talks more loopholes in the 2024 T20 World Cup

Another absurd takeaway from this World Cup is how there are different rules for both semi-finals. The India vs England semi-final does not have a reserve day while the South Africa vs Afghanistan game does. India have not played a single day-night game in the tournament thus far, all because the Indian audiences back home will have the time, space and energy to watch the games during prime-time hours. And that's what's wrong, adds Lloyd.

"It just isn't fair (to the teams)," he said. "You can go round and round and talk about forever. We're just manipulating the tournament for the benefit of a few. If you look at the TV audience in India, they would watch anything there and anytime. It is a religion. It is the be all and end all. They would watch it and so it must of such commercial value, that overrides the competition itself. And don't tell me the ICC devises it. Who does it? Whoever it is, this operating group must be told that whilst you're doing it, this must happen, that must happen and that it's a bit unfair to the teams. Come up with the best World Cup you can, you can put together for the supporter."

SOURCE: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...xed-trying-to-manipulate-101719374331240.html
Click to expand...
Bechara Bumble. The penny is finally dropping for him. Soon he will realise how it is not just the WC that BCCI influences.
 
Why should anyone, that too an old grumpy English man who's out of work , would be concerned with ICC scheduling Ind Pak matches in a world cup ? How is it affecting any other teams? How is it unfair. ? Ridiculous.
 
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