Unhappy at India deciding not to tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy matches next year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to take legal action. Some Pakistani commentators have suggested that Pakistan should consider boycotting the Trophy in case India sticks to its decision.
Pakistan’s frustration and bluster stem from the fact that they stand to lose out substantial revenue in the absence of the Indian team from the Trophy matches. A report in the Express Tribune newspaper said that Pakistan should make it clear that “India continues to decline, Pakistan may opt to avoid playing future tournaments involving India”.
The PCB is reported to have been instructed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Government that it should seek a “formal explanation of India’s decision’’. It needs to be mentioned here that the Indian Government, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has told the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) not to tour Pakistan.
Incidentally, cricket matches between arch-rivals India and Pakistan are big draws, leading to a very large viewership. The India-Pakistan match at the 2023 World Cup had 173 million viewers on Indian TV and 225 million digital viewers. As such, the telecast and broadcast rights of such matches, whenever they happen, generate lots of revenue for the International Cricket Council (ICC).
As Pakistan is to host the Champions Trophy next year, it was hoping to generate considerable revenue from the event. However, India’s refusal to allow its team to tour Pakistan has put a spanner in these plans. Incidentally, BCCI secretary Jay Shah, son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, had indicated last month that the Indian team will not go to Pakistan. Instead, he had suggested that the India-Pakistan matches or other matches involving the Indian team could be played in neutral venues like UAE or Sri Lanka.
Pakistan is signalling to the ICC that it could face “contractual challenges with broadcasters and sponsors’’ if it boycotts the Trophy matches. Pakistan loses crores of rupees every year, which it could have earned from bilateral matches with India. Besides, the Pakistani players have not been allowed since 2009 to participate in cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions.
In contrast to the Indian team, the Pakistan team has visited multiple ICC events in India, as these are a good source of income for it. After India decided to skip the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan, which led to a hybrid format, Pakistan’s Government is considering a policy restricting Pakistani teams from competing against India.
The Pakistan Government has been saying that it wants sports and politics to be kept separate, a position India does not endorse. The BCCI and ICC are pushing for a hybrid model to host the event, but PCB has resisted the proposal so far.
After getting a formal letter from the ICC regarding the Indian team’s refusal last Friday, the Pakistan Government is mulling its course of action. According to officials, if teams from other countries are willing to visit Pakistan, India should not be exempt without valid justification.
Within the next couple of days, the PCB is expected to issue a letter to the ICC outlining Pakistan’s official stance. The message will emphasise that should India continue to decline to tour Pakistan, it may opt to avoid playing future tournaments involving India. According to Pakistani officials, this letter will also address other related issues arising from India’s absence.
It needs to be mentioned here that BCCI secretary Jay Shah is the Chair-Elect of the ICC and begins his term on December 1 this year. He was elected unopposed to replace Greg Barclay, who is counting his days. Given this, Pakistan wants to escalate matters right now, given that Barclay is still holding the top ICC post.
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