World Cup and Champions Trophy will be shifted from India…! The effect of India-PAK political tension started becoming visible on international cricket.

New Delhi : The International Cricket Council (ICC) seems to be stuck in a big dilemma regarding future major cricket events. The growing diplomatic tension between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh has now engulfed the playgrounds as well. According to media reports, discussions are intensifying to shift the 2029 Champions Trophy and 2031 World Cup to some other place outside India. This shadow of politics on sports can prove to be a big blow for cricket lovers.

Deteriorating relationships increased concerns

Let us tell you that the deteriorating relations between India and its neighbors have increased the ICC’s concerns. Recently, Bangladesh had flatly refused to play the T20 World Cup match in India, after which Scotland was included in its place. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had also threatened to boycott matches against India in support of Bangladesh. Although Pakistan later changed its stance after assurance from ICC, but these incidents point towards a bigger danger.

ICC working on alternative plan

In view of the worsening situation, ICC is now working on an alternative plan. According to the report of ‘The Age’, countries like Australia can be made potential organizers by snatching the hosting rights from India. Pakistan already does not play its matches in India and their matches are organized in neighboring countries. There has also been an agreement between BCCI and PCB that in big tournaments, matches between the two countries will be played at a neutral venue only.

The future of 2029 and 2031 is in limbo

India is to host the Champions Trophy in 2029, but the ICC fears that Bangladesh may refuse to play there. An even bigger challenge is the 2031 World Cup, which has to be jointly hosted by India and Bangladesh. If both the teams refuse to go to each other’s country, organizing the tournament will become a big problem. Since the 2023 ODI World Cup, cricket in the subcontinent has been dominated by politics, which is hurting the spirit of the game.

The excitement of big tournaments is decreasing

Holding matches at neutral venues is no less than a headache for cricket boards and broadcasters. Managing the resources for players’ travel, accommodation and live coverage over and over again is a very expensive and tiring task. Also, due to time difference, TV viewership is also negatively affected. More attention has now focused on security and diplomacy than sports, due to which the thrill of big tournaments is diminishing and an uneasy atmosphere is being created.

BCCI is the richest board in the world

Despite all these concerns, it is almost impossible to keep Indian fans away from events like the World Cup. India has the world’s largest cricket fan base, which is the main source of ICC’s revenue. If the tournament is shifted out of India, ICC will have to suffer huge financial losses. BCCI is the richest board in the world and it will not be ready to lose hosting at any cost. This whole controversy has become a conflict between the popularity of cricket and business.