Is the Ashes the biggest rivalry in cricket???

The 2010 Ashes series kicked off in Australia a few days ago, and it's quite understandable that there is much hype going on about how great the Ashes rivalry is between Australia and England. Some have even regarded as the biggest ever rivalry in the history of cricket, but is it really? I don't think so because you can't compare the Ashes to the rivalry of Pakistan and India. Oh yes, Indo-Pak rivalry is much bigger and intense then the Ashes.

The Indian and Pakistani cricket teams have been long-time arch rivals and their rivalry is considered to be the most intense battle by many cricket experts. An India-Pakistan cricket match has been estimated to attract up to one hundred million television viewers according to well respected TV ratings firm Initiative, and defeat is usually unacceptable to supporters of both teams.

An India-Pakistan match, no matter what country it is in, will always attract more fans. An Ashes match wouldn't attract as many fans if it was in a country other than Australia or England.

The Ashes, is the more traditional rivalry, it begins and ends on the playing field. Indian and Pakistani cricketers have rarely had that simple luxury, because for their nations the cricket rivalry has always been a small, but profoundly symbolic, part of a bigger, far more complex rivalry. And for the major part of their cricket history neither the players nor the fans have managed to escape this. It has been a burden. 

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