India-Pakistan T20 World Cup faceoff uncertain after ICC says no to PCB's conditions

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected  demands made by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over Pakistan’s decision to boycott its T20 World Cup match against India on February 15, according to India Today. 

The demands were discussed during a five-hour meeting on Sunday. The ICC turned down proposals for resuming bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan and for holding a tri-series involving India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The ICC has given PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi one day to consult Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and confirm Pakistan’s final stand. The global body is expected to announce its decision on the India–Pakistan match by Monday evening or Tuesday morning.

The meeting was attended by Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister, and ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja. Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam Bulbul was also present in Lahore. Pakistan had earlier opposed Bangladesh’s removal from the T20 World Cup after Bangladesh refused to travel to India for its matches.

On February 1, the Pakistan government said on social media that it had not given permission for its senior team to play India in the T20 World Cup. No reason was given. Later, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the decision was taken to support Bangladesh and accused the ICC of favouritism.

What were the demands?

No penalty for Bangladesh: Pakistan said Bangladesh should not be punished for pulling out of the T20 World Cup and should get its full share of ICC revenue. The ICC had already taken this decision earlier.

Compensatory global event: Pakistan asked the ICC to give Bangladesh another global event after last year’s Women’s T20 World Cup was shifted from Bangladesh to Dubai due to civil unrest. An Under-19 World Cup in the next cycle was suggested.

India-Pakistan bilaterals: Pakistan demanded that the ICC encourage India to resume bilateral cricket with Pakistan. The ICC rejected this and said bilateral series are not under its control, even under the World Test Championship.

Tri-series and Bangladesh tour: Pakistan proposed an India-Pakistan-Bangladesh tri-series and asked India to tour Bangladesh later this year for a series postponed in 2025. The ICC rejected both, saying it cannot force boards to play bilateral or trilateral series.

The ICC has been in talks with the PCB since Pakistan formally wrote to the global body about the government’s decision to boycott the February 15 match. The ICC asked the PCB to clarify the use of the force majeure clause and urged the board to rethink its stand.

Will India travel to Colombo?

The BCCI has not issued any official statement yet. Sources said India is waiting for formal communication from the ICC.

According to top sources, India will follow ICC protocol. The team will travel to Sri Lanka as planned, train as scheduled and attend the pre-match press conference. India will reach the R Premadasa Stadium on match day and wait for the match referee to decide whether the match will be called off if Pakistan does not take the field.

What about the losses if Pakistan withdraws?

The India–Pakistan match is the most valuable fixture in world cricket and earns around Rs 2,200 crore, according to PTI.

The ICC has kept India and Pakistan in the same group in major tournaments since 2012 because of the huge interest in the match. Bilateral cricket between the two teams has not been played for the last 14 years due to poor relations.

If Pakistan stays away, it could lose millions in revenue and the ICC will also take a big financial hit. The host broadcaster may lose Rs 200 crore to Rs 250 crore in ad revenue. A 10-second ad slot during the match can cost up to Rs 40 lakh.

Sri Lanka Cricket has written to the PCB saying that the absence of the February 15 India–Pakistan match would cause financial losses for Sri Lanka Cricket and harm the image of the tournament in Sri Lanka, which is jointly hosting the event with India.