In a scathing critique, former England cricketer and renowned commentator David Lloyd has accused the International Cricket Council (ICC) of pre-determining the scheduling of India-Pakistan matches in recent ICC tournaments, calling it a form of “fixing.”
On the TalkSports Podcast, Lloyd expressed his concerns, stating, “We talk long and hard about fixing in cricket, that’s fixed [pre-determining IND vs PAK fixtures]. That’s just fixed for a major event.”
Lamenting the lack of “romance” in these high-profile clashes, Lloyd argued, “If they do get drawn together, not that they are, that’s it. If they do, there’s a romance to it. There’s something for spectators to look forward to. If it happens and then it becomes an event, you know the game itself is an event. You can’t fix it.”
Lloyd’s remarks come amid growing concerns around the integrity of cricket, with former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq recently making allegations of ball-tampering against India in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.
The 77-year-old commentator also alluded to “a lot of other stuff” that he believes has been “fixed” in the ongoing T20 World Cup, describing it as “manipulation.” His comments reference India’s scheduling advantages, including playing all their league games at a single venue and at a fixed time (8:00 PM IST). At the same time, other teams have had to travel between games and shuttle between day and night matches.
Furthermore, Lloyd highlighted the ICC’s decision to hand India the second semi-final in Guyana, regardless of their group stage performance, to cater to the Indian audience’s primetime viewing preferences.
“And that’s, that’s only part of what we fix. We fixed many things in this particular World Cup to try to make things and manipulate them. It’s just wrong,” Lloyd asserted, underscoring his concerns about the lack of fairness and impartiality in the tournament’s organization.
Lloyd’s scathing remarks have sparked a wider debate about the transparency and integrity of international cricket governing bodies as the sport grapples with allegations of manipulation and unfair practices.
