PAKISTAN GOVERNMENT has decided to boycott the high-profile T20 World Cup group-stage match against India scheduled for 15 February. While an official statement from the government has permitted the national team to participate in the tournament, it clarified that Pakistan’s players would not take the field for the match against India.
In a related development, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), citing solidarity with Bangladesh’s exclusion from the T20 World Cup, has opted not to play the group-stage fixture against India in Colombo on 15 February. This decision comes despite the PCB having a binding agreement with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to play matches at neutral venues.
The India and Pakistan encounter is widely regarded as one of the most intense and commercially valuable rivalries in global sport. With audiences running into the billions whenever the two teams meet, Pakistan’s potential withdrawal from the fixture could result in a substantial financial setback for the ICC and broadcasters.
According to a report by Cricbuzz, tournament organisers could face losses of Rs 200 crore or more if Pakistan follows through on the boycott. Each India match at a global ICC event is estimated to be worth between USD 10–11 million, roughly Rs 100 crore. Given the unparalleled hype surrounding an India–Pakistan clash, organisers were reportedly targeting revenues of Rs 200 crore or higher from the 15 February fixture alone.
If the two teams do not face each other, both the ICC and broadcast partners are expected to suffer a significant loss in revenue during the T20 World Cup.
In response, the ICC released a statement expressing concern over the situation, “While the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule.”
“The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of. The ICC’s priority remains the successful delivery of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup which should also be the responsibility of all its members including the PCB. It expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution, which protects the interests of all stakeholders,” the statement added.
