Umpires will be cowed, politics will override all sense and we will end up with an Anglo v Asia standoff which could destroy this beautiful game.
Umpires
will be cowed. Whether we like it or not, umpiring is a job that has to go massive structural and power changes in the future to survive. As it is, umpires are under the spotlight because technology has closed the gap considerably between the umpire's capabilities and the viewer's (particularly, television viewrs) ability to spot mistakes.
Eventually, it is a matter of time before most decision-making is done by third umpires and umpires are reduced to essentially signalling doods on the field.
They dont like it but then again, human history is chock-full of professions that have become obsolete. Umpires and refs might like to pretend that they are an integral part of any sport but in reality, they are not. There are only two integral side in sports - the players and the fans. The umpire, much like television replays of goals/100 metre finishes/dodgy catches, etc, are merely accessories and tools to the game. And as things usually are, tools and accessories are expendable.
the India/Pakistani block have to stop playing this brand of self-serving politics and start respecting the game they make their money from.
In ideal world, yes that would be the case.
However, where there is money, there is power and where there is power, there is contestation. Before it was the Anglo blocs playing, as you put it, 'this brand of self serving politics' through cricket. Doesnt matter who is calling the shots- if the top dog steps down, another mongrel will rise to fill the power vaccum. I can live with the subcontinent controlling the game- perhaps it is the subcontinental in me talking but i also think that if there's going to be a top dawg anyways, atleast, let the top dawg be representative of majority of the fanbase.