Former Pakistan cricketer slams Asia Cup as broadcaster-driven, not cricket-driven

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has claimed that the Asia Cup is no longer a battle between nations but a tournament controlled by broadcasters, whose only goal is to maximize profits.

Speaking emotionally on his YouTube channel, the ex-Test batter said that in today’s era, cricket is less about the game itself and more about business interests. 

According to him, the real winners of the Asia Cup will not be Pakistan, India, or Sri Lanka, but the broadcasters who benefit financially.

“Broadcasters make the real decisions, not the players on the field,” Basit Ali remarked. 

He added that the Indian government’s stance of not playing bilateral series against Pakistan is nothing new, as the two teams have only met in Asia Cups or ICC tournaments in recent years.

Basit Ali further noted that this separation is spreading to other sports as well. 

“Whether it’s hockey, kabaddi, wrestling, snooker, or even women’s squads, Pakistan teams won’t travel to India and Indian teams won’t come here. In the past, smaller sports like tennis occasionally crossed borders, but that too has stopped,” he said.

He criticized the pressure being placed on Indian fans by mixed political statements from their leaders, suggesting that the ultimate decisions are aligned with broadcaster interests.

To prove his point, he gave the example of the Legends League, where some Indian players pulled out despite having signed contracts. 

“This shows that it’s not just governments making the calls — the real power lies with broadcasters,” Basit said.

He predicted that during the Asia Cup, broadcasters will try to arrange not two but three Pakistan–India clashes, including the final, in order to attract more viewers and generate higher profits.

“It’s unfortunate that cricket has turned into a money-making game. In franchise leagues across the world, cricket comes second while business interests always come first. The same will happen in this Asia Cup — Pakistan won’t win, India won’t win, Sri Lanka won’t win. The only winner will be the broadcasters,” he concluded.