NEW DELHI: Former England cricketer and commentator David Lloyd has called on the ICC to stop pre-scheduling matches between India and Pakistan at major tournaments. Lloyd claims that such matches, which have been played at all ICC events since 2013, undermine the integrity of the sport.
His comments came during a discussion on talkSPORT about the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup, in which he claims such practices amount to “match fixing”, manipulating match results for commercial gains and affecting the fairness and quality of the competition.
“Not at all,” Lloyd said when asked if calling off the India-Pakistan match would be a loss. “We’ve had a long discussion about match fixing in cricket. Match fixing does happen, but it’s just match fixing at big events. The match is an event. You can’t fix it. And that’s just part of the way we fix matches. We fix a lot of things. In this World Cup, we’re just trying to manipulate. That’s wrong.”
Lloyd also criticised the 2024 T20 World Cup schedule, particularly the lack of rest days for teams during the Super 8 phase, saying the tight schedule was having a negative impact on team performance and preparation time.
Another concern raised by Lloyd was the inconsistency in the semi-final rules, pointing out that the India vs England semi-final did not have a reserve day, but the South Africa vs Afghanistan match did.
“That’s not fair to the teams,” Lloyd pointed out. “We’re just rigging the tournament for the benefit of a few. If you look at the TV audience in India, they’ll watch anything, anytime. It’s a religion. That’s all. They’ll watch it, so there must be a commercial value to it that takes precedence over the competition itself.”
Lloyd and other experts involved in the discussions outlined five key points that the ICC should consider in the run up to the next World Cup.
His comments came during a discussion on talkSPORT about the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup, in which he claims such practices amount to “match fixing”, manipulating match results for commercial gains and affecting the fairness and quality of the competition.
“Not at all,” Lloyd said when asked if calling off the India-Pakistan match would be a loss. “We’ve had a long discussion about match fixing in cricket. Match fixing does happen, but it’s just match fixing at big events. The match is an event. You can’t fix it. And that’s just part of the way we fix matches. We fix a lot of things. In this World Cup, we’re just trying to manipulate. That’s wrong.”
Lloyd also criticised the 2024 T20 World Cup schedule, particularly the lack of rest days for teams during the Super 8 phase, saying the tight schedule was having a negative impact on team performance and preparation time.
Another concern raised by Lloyd was the inconsistency in the semi-final rules, pointing out that the India vs England semi-final did not have a reserve day, but the South Africa vs Afghanistan match did.
“That’s not fair to the teams,” Lloyd pointed out. “We’re just rigging the tournament for the benefit of a few. If you look at the TV audience in India, they’ll watch anything, anytime. It’s a religion. That’s all. They’ll watch it, so there must be a commercial value to it that takes precedence over the competition itself.”
Lloyd and other experts involved in the discussions outlined five key points that the ICC should consider in the run up to the next World Cup.
- Firstly, India and Pakistan should not automatically meet in the tournament – the match between the two teams should be decided by draws and the progression of the tournament, rather than being pre-determined.
- The second is unified rules for the semi-finals, including a provision for a reserve day for all teams.
- Third, there will be no pre-determining which teams will compete in the Super 8 and semi-finals. Teams will have to qualify solely based on their performance during the tournament.
- Fourth, a fair distribution of matches and venues, so that no team plays all its matches in one place while other teams have to travel far and wide.
- Fifth, we no longer need fixed schedules that favor certain outcomes: He believes that schedules should not be manipulated to promote certain outcomes, thereby ensuring fair and unbiased competition.
“These criticisms and proposed reforms reflect wider calls for fairness and integrity in the conduct of international cricket. Lloyd’s comments are aimed at preserving the competitive spirit of cricket for all teams and fans.
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