Viewership numbers speak out loud - ICC doesn’t need India-Pakistan anymore to market cricket

International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah posted on X yesterday giving details of the massive viewership of the India England game. It is a staggering number and is evidence how much the fans have embraced this world cup. While the ICC can be extremely satisfied with its effort, the viewership numbers also tell us something extremely pertinent. Fans are no longer obsessed with just India Pakistan. Rather, they have moved on to appreciating quality cricket and games that stand out for its competitiveness. The semi-final was one such and it is understandable why viewership shattered all records.

It is time the ICC makes note of this. It doesn’t need India Pakistan anymore to sell an event. In fact, with Pakistan cricket plummeting to new lows, it is time the ICC moves beyond India-Pakistan and starts to focus on India-Australia, India-England, India-South Africa and also India-New Zealand. The fans, the core strength of the Indian cricket market, is telling the ICC how they have moved on from India-Pakistan.

I have covered this event very closely to say fan passion has been at a premium. Take the India-West Indies game for example. Every seat at the Eden Gardens was taken and it was a spectacle of the very highest order. The very same thing was repeated in England. Yet again every seat was taken at the Wankhede and the crowd was entertained to some fantastic cricket. Be it Chennai, Mumbai or Kolkata, the ICC has been empowered to look beyond India-Pakistan and it can only augur well for cricket going forward.

Let me also say that the ICC should be seriously satisfied with what it has been able to pull off so far. There were serious bottlenecks with Pakistan doing what it was and the tournament was very much in jeopardy. Fans did not know whether to travel or not and there was no clarity with a week left for things to start. It must have been tough for Jay and his team. To navigate political waters, get Pakistan to see sense, work with every board and stage things to perfection- that’s what diplomacy is all about and the ICC has done it to perfection.

I remember a number of friends asking me a week ahead of India Pakistan if they should cancel or keep their bookings intact for Sri Lanka. With Pakistan delaying things till the very last minute and with Bangladesh going to polls, the ICC had to navigate difficult waters. In such situations not everything is in your control and that’s when administrative skills are tested.

In what is good news for cricket, the ICC passed this Test and has given itself a new lifeline going forward. For Jay and his team, it is a big step forward. Administration is a thankless job and you come into focus only when there is a slip up. People don’t really appreciate a job well done and a well organised tournament often passes unnoticed. But then that’s the satisfaction. The option of looking beyond Pakistan and the joy of the fans- this has been a world cup that has set the stage for future events for world cricket’s governing body.

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