Cricket’s Integrity Crisis: Why ICC’s Scheduling Is Losing Fans’ Trust
Niccolò Machiavelli argued in his famous political treatise, The Prince, that it is “much safer to be feared than to be loved.”
The BCCI has taken that philosophy to heart, wielding its soft power in ways that are gradually eroding trust in cricket.
The Champions Trophy may just be the tipping point.
The Accusations
Since cricket’s resumption after the financially and mentally taxing COVID-induced break, the BCCI has increasingly dictated terms. Subtle but significant decisions across the last four ICC tournaments have raised serious concerns.
- 2021 T20 World Cup: India’s last two matches were scheduled against Scotland and Namibia, conveniently positioned as the final group-stage fixtures — providing them the best chance to boost their NRR if needed.
- Champions Trophy: On the flip side, in a format where an opening loss is nearly fatal, India starts against Bangladesh while their toughest fixture — New Zealand — was left until the end.
- 2024 T20 World Cup: Matches in the Caribbean were scheduled to suit Indian prime-time television, not local fans. It was decided ahead of the tournament that if India qualify for the 2024 T20 WC semi-final, they would get to play in Guyana irrespective of group stage standings.
- Travel Disparities: In the same tournament, Sri Lanka had to face airplane delays and four flights at four venues, while India stayed in one location and had gap between their Sunday to Sunday matches.
- Home Pitch ‘Doctoring’: Selectively curated pitches, which may or may not have backfired (see Nov 19, 2023).
- And now, India are playing all their matches in the same venue at Dubai while South Africa take a trip from Pakistan to Pakistan via the UAE.
I am not claiming that this is outright corruption or that ICC tournaments are rigged. Far from it.
But, these are not mere coincidences either. It raises serious concerns about the independence of fixtures, and that independence is what keeps sport fair and compelling to watch.
Undermining Team India’s Legacy
Ironically, it is Team India, one of the greatest ODI sides in modern history, that is suffering from this loss of trust.
Let’s take a look at the squad:
- Virat Kohli — The greatest ODI Player of all time.
- Rohit Sharma — Legendary opener, three double centuries, including a 264-run masterpiece.
- Shreyas Iyer — Resolved India’s #4 conundrum and as Abhishek AB on Twitter mentioned, the only #4s with a 100+ SR and 50+ average.
- KL Rahul — The finest #5 batter of this generation.
- Shami — India’s best ICC ODI bowler.
Besides the core, you have the all-rounder engine room of Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja. They can be the insurance policy and arrest the slide when wickets fall early or provide the finishing touch. On the field, they can stall opposition with economical spells, timely wickets, catches, and game-changing run-outs.
If the opposition somehow manages to get through these eight, then they pray that they do not run into ICC #1 Shubman Gill, the guile of Varun Chakravarthy, or Kuldeep Yadav’s artistry.
The likes of Rishabh Pant are carrying drinks, and Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Verma, and Sanju Samson are not even in the squad.
Since 2011, India has lost just seven ICC ODI World Cup and Champions Trophy matches out of 51. England lost six in the 2023 World Cup alone.
Yet, because of the UAE-Pakistan hosting fiasco, even die-hard cricket fans are now questioning the seriousness of this tournament. Heck, Peter Della Penna is not even watching the tournament at all!
The Needless UAE Debate
This Indian side is one of the most balanced ODI sides in recent memory. However, the focus in the last couple of weeks has diverted to an unnecessary debate. Nasser Hussain & Mike Atherton claimed that India had an ‘undeniable advantage.’
Rassie van der Dussen pointed out that “If you can stay in one place, stay in one hotel, practice in the same facilities, play in the same stadium, on the same pitches it’s definitely an advantage. I don’t think you have to be a rocket scientist to know that.”
Even India’s own Mohammad Shami agreed that India has an advantage.
(Side note: As someone who has been stranded a bazillion times in the Dallas Fort Worth airport, I can relate to David Miller’s frustrations. Once, I almost landed at my destination only for the plane to turn sent back to Dallas due to a tornado warning, forcing me to sleep in the airport — I get it, David. Flights have a way of ruining a good night’s sleep or an entire weekend, but that’s a whole other story.)
When the Nasser Hussain’s of the world question India’s authority, the whole world erupts. Journalists, fans, cricketers all weigh in, and the Indian Newtonian brigade swiftly respond with their equal and opposite stingers.
Sunil Gavaskar, for instance, essentially fired back with, “We pay your salaries.”
But was it Really an Advantage?
As CricBlog argues, India only playing in the UAE isn’t really that much of an advantage as critics claim.
Frankly, they could have broken the 400 barrier in the flat pitches of Pakistan. This team would have dominated anywhere.
The point isn’t whether India needs these advantages — it’s that they exist at all.
And dude, these players are accustomed to playing double Super Overs on a Sunday night into Monday morning for IPL matches, squeezing interviews and sponsorship committments, getting a few of hours of sleep, and traveling to another city for a game just 36 hours later. The kind of relentless schedule and travel is the reality for today’s IPL generation of professional athletes.
Hypocrisy, Thy Name is India
As William Shakespeare most certainly did not say, “Hypocrisy, Thy Name is India.”
The BCCI’s stance on cricketing relations with Pakistan is simple: “We refuse to play bilateral cricket Pakistan due to geopolitical reasons. We will not play them at all (well, of course, except in the cases of money, TV rights, and yep that’s about it, money).
When ICC tournaments were held every four years, I could understand the financial weight India-Pakistan matches carried, but with these tournaments happening every year now, the matches no longer hold the same significance. And honestly, they have become predictably boring.
The argument always has been, the ICC earnings from these encounters would be reinvested into grassroot cricket and growth of the game worldwide. Growth of cricket, my foot!
In a Big-3 led 10-team World Cup sport, the ICC’s exploitation of India-Pakistan is just a cash cow, stripping ICC fixtures of their independence and adding logistical burden for every other nation. As Jarrod Kimber rightly exclaimed on this point, “Can we just grow up as sport?”
Nobody Dares Question the BCCI Anymore
In school, sometimes a new kid arrives and gets all the attention. In the cricket world, India is the new (financial) kid. And they also happen to be the smartest student in the room.
Social media is already pandering to Indian audiences due to the views and monetization. Not only has the tune of the high level administrators become more rosy towards India, but YouTube channels of Pakistani cricketers, podcasts from Australia and England — EVERYbody caters to Indian audiences.
Is that a bad thing? No, can actually be pretty entertaining to be honest.
It’s just that, nobody questions the BCCI anymore. Everyone just quietly wants to be friends with them and take a piece of the pie.
Remember in 2003 when teams accused Ricky Ponting of playing with a “spring bat”? How could a team be so good (and slightly arrogant). Well, India is that team now, and the BCCI is that board.
But before money, comes trust.
The ICC-B team, also known as the BCCI, need to clean up their image.
We love the cricketers.
Let us enjoy the cricket too. I’ll leave with you Machiavelli’s complete quote:
“It is much safer to be feared than loved because….love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.”
Come on Jay Shah. Time to be loved, not feared.
Originally published on Broken Cricket Dreams website, brokencricketdreams.com on 03/08/2025.
