India-Pakistan match draws are 'fixed', admits ICC

ICC chief admits the draws are 'habitually fixed' to put them in the same group.

Are match draws between India and Pakistan 'fixed'?
According to recent comments by the International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Dave Richardson - they are!
According to a report in The Telegraph, the ICC has admitted that draws for global tournaments are 'habitually fixed' in order to get India and Pakistan in the same group.
Similarly, the recent draw for the 2017 Champions Trophy in England, again pitted the two traditional rivals against each other in  Group B. India, the reigning champions, will face Pakistan in their first match of the tournament on June 4 at Edgbaston.
"No doubt we want to try to put India versus Pakistan in our event," said ICC chief executive.

"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."

Matches between India and Pakistan have always attracted huge global audiences around the world, creating a frenzy on both sides of the border, as well as getting a lot of press and media coverage for tournaments.
In 2015, a World Cup match between the two countries attracted an estimated one billion viewers. Held in Adelaide, Australia - India won the match by 76 runs.

It had long been suspected that the ICC was 'doctoring draws' to guarantee fans and broadcasters another iteration of the sport's most lucrative fixture, this is the first time that the governing body has admitted it publicly - The Telegraph

It is noteworthy that this is the fifth tournament in succession where the two teams are scheduled to meet in the group stage. 
The decision to put India and Pakistan together at all costs - a factor that was also behind the adoption of a 10-team round robin format at the forthcoming 2019 World Cup in England - essentially dictated the rest of the draw before it had been made, the report added. 
Richardson denied that this had a negative impact on the integrity or fairness of the tournament. "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."
The groups
Group A: Australia, NZ, England, Bangladesh
Group B: India, S Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan
The story originally appeared here.