India, Feb. 15 -- Former England captain Michael Atherton has delivered a scathing assessment of the upcoming India versus Pakistan game, scheduled for February 15 at Colombo's R Premadasa Stadium. He branded the T20 World Cup clash a "toxic, politicised spectacle" that has drifted far from pure sport.

Writing in his column for The Times, Atherton argued that the India-Pakistan fixture has become "too big to fail", given how financially dependent international cricket has grown on the contest, even as it has lost much of its old charm and evolved into a vehicle for political posturing.

"All eyes on Colombo on Sunday, then. Money in modern cricket does not so much talk as scream, so it was always likely that a way would be found for the ...