We want to put India v Pakistan in our event: Dave Richardson

The ICC CEO, Dave Richardson has stated that draws for international tournaments are usually fixed in a bid to have the arch-rivals of world cricket in the same group. This revelation comes after India and Pakistan were drawn in the same group for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 in England. India and Pakistan were drawn up against each other in the World T20 as well.

The 2017 edition of the tournament will also be the fifth time the Asian rivals in cricket will meet in the ICC Champions Trophy. Encounters between the two generally generate television rates that go through the roof. With the World T20 ratings touching almost a billion viewers worldwide, making it one of the most lucrative encounters in sports worldwide.

Speaking at The Oval after announcing the draw, ICC Chief Dave Richardson stated that India v Pakistan encounters are hugely important in the point of view of the ICC. He said, “No doubt we want to try to put India versus Pakistan in our event. It’s hugely important from an ICC point of view. It’s massive around the world and the fans have come to expect it as well. It’s fantastic for the tournament because it gives it a massive kick.

What we try and do is make sure that when you add up the rankings of the different groups, they all add up to the same number of points. You can do that in a number of ways. So long as the pools are balanced, it’s silly to avoid [the fixture] when you can fairly cater for it”, he added.

While the Indians have a perfect record against Pakistan in World Cups, the latter holds a 2-1 advantage when it comes to the Champions Trophy. With the draw being made in the rankings system, India (ranked 2nd) have been grouped with Pakistan (ranked 8th), South Africa (ranked 3rd) and Sri Lanka (ranked 5th).