The Pakistani government announced on February 1 that its cricket team will take part in the T20 World Cup but will not play the match against India. This decision is expected to cause major financial losses for broadcasters.
Pakistan has decided to boycott the match against India, but it knows that this decision could create serious problems. Because of this, Pakistan has started preparing to face possible action from the International Cricket Council (ICC). Pakistani media reports say that if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is fined, it will raise an old case and demand compensation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
According to the announcement made on February 1, Pakistan will play in the T20 World Cup but will not face India. Broadcasters are expected to suffer heavy losses due to this move. After this, reports said that the ICC may recover these losses by imposing a fine on the PCB. While there are reports of possible penalties, the PCB is already ready to respond.
PCB to Raise 2018 Dispute Again
As reported by Pakistani newspaper Dawn, if the ICC takes action against the PCB, it will raise the 2018 dispute again. In November 2018, Pakistan accused the BCCI of breaking an agreement. Under this agreement, India and Pakistan were supposed to play seven bilateral series between 2014 and 2023, with two series scheduled to be held in Pakistan.
India refused to play these series. At first, the BCCI said it was not bound by the agreement. Later, it stated that the decision not to play bilateral cricket with Pakistan was taken on the instructions of the Indian government. Pakistan then demanded $63 million as compensation for financial losses, but the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee rejected this claim.
Pakistan now plans to raise this issue again. The PCB believes that if it is punished for refusing to play India, the ICC should also reconsider the 2018 case. Pakistan will argue that it was not compensated for the losses it suffered earlier. If the ICC does not agree, Pakistan may take the matter to the International Court of Arbitration.
India-Pakistan Match Brings Huge Revenue
An India-Pakistan match in an ICC tournament is estimated to generate around $250 million (more than ₹2,200 crore) in revenue. If the match does not take place, the host broadcaster could lose between ₹200 crore and ₹250 crore in advertising revenue. A 10-second advertising slot during an India-Pakistan match can cost up to ₹40 lakh.
This is why the ICC does not want Pakistan to boycott the match against India. In case of a walkover, India would receive full points, but the ICC would still have the power to fine the PCB. Pakistan has already boycotted matches against Bangladesh in the tournament. The ICC has replaced Bangladesh with Scotland, but Bangladesh is still expected to face consequences.
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