"WTC Not An ICC Event?" - Aakash Chopra Questions The ICC For Not Having India-Pakistan Series In The Upcoming Cycle

Former India opener Aakash Chopra questioned the International Cricket Council (ICC) about the absence of an India-Pakistan encounter in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. Aakash Chopra pointed out that India and Pakistan didn’t have a single series in the first three editions.

Recently, the ICC released the schedule for the WTC 2023–25 cycle. The Men in Blue will kick off their campaign with two Tests during the tour of the West Indies. The Rohit Sharma-led team will not face Pakistan in the longer format of the game during the ongoing cycle, like in the first two WTC cycles.

Also read: ICC World Cup 2023: Pakistan Denies Playing Against India At The Narendra Modi Stadium – Reports

ICC World Test Championship Final | Dream11 Prediction | Fantasy Cricket Tips | Cricket Match Prediction Today | Cricket News | Cricket Live Score | Asia Cup 2023 | ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 | IND vs AFG 2023 | IND vs WI 2023

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said that India and Pakistan should play against each other in a longer format of the game as the WTC is an ICC tournament.

“You don’t play against all teams. But this is WTC, it’s an ICC event. It has been 4 years now… can you imagine an ICC event without India vs Pakistan? This can never happen. It’s always at the start of the tournament so it gets off to a great start commercially. It gets the highest rating and people make money,” Chopra said.

Also read: Ashes 2023: “I’m Going To Try And Take Him On” – Harry Brook Fires Warning To Nathan Lyon Ahead Of The Marquee Event

“So, is WTC not an ICC event? It’s an ICC mace, they host the final. So, all the matches that take place in the cycle should be in the purview of ICC. It will be 6 years, and you didn’t have a single India-Pakistan series. This is also an ICC event. If it’s not, make it clear. Call it bilateral cricket and accept that you have made WTC just to glamorize Tests,” he added.

ICC World Test Championship Final | WTC Final 2023 | IND vs AUS 2023 | India National Cricket Team | IND vs AFG 2023 | IND vs WI 2023 | Asia Cup 2023 | ICC World Cup 2023

India And Pakistan Face Each Other In White Ball ICC Tournaments

The two teams aren’t playing in the bilateral series due to the political tension between the nations. They played the last white-ball series in 2012 in India. However, they played against each other at the ICC and ACC tournaments. India beat Pakistan by four wickets in their last encounter during the T20 World Cup 2022.

The Men in Blue are expected to face Pakistan in the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup. However, the tournament’s venue was not finalised as the BCCI denied the hybrid model. The Babar Azam-led team will travel to India for the 13th edition of the ODI World Cup, which will be played in October and November.

Also read: BCCI Invites Tender For Lead Sponsor Rights For India National Cricket Team; Certain Brands Can’t Bid For Rights

Virat Kohli | Rohit Sharma | Rishabh Pant | KL Rahul | Suryakumar Yadav | Sanju Samson | Shreyas Iyer | Yuzvendra Chahal | Jasprit Bumrah