Why Pak boycotted India in T20 World Cup:What is Pakistan hinting at; will ICC incur losses if the match is cancelled?

There will be no match between India and Pakistan in the T-20 World Cup. The Pakistan government announced the boycott of this match on Sunday evening. Both teams were supposed to face each other in Colombo on 15 February. Before this, the Bangladesh team had refused to play in India, after which the ICC had removed them from the World Cup. Why did Pakistan refuse to play the match? Can Pakistan also be removed now? How much loss will the ICC face? Let’s understand in Bhaskar Explainer.. Why did Pakistan boycott India in T-20 World Cup?
Pakistan has refused to play the match with India in protest of Bangladesh being removed from the T-20 World Cup… Naqvi had met Pakistan PM Shahbaz Sharif on 26 January. In this meeting, discussions were held regarding Pakistan’s World Cup participation and matches against India. After this, reports emerged that instead of boycotting the entire World Cup, two options were being considered – Pakistani players could wear black armbands to show solidarity with Bangladesh, or Pakistan could refuse to play only the match against India. Later on 1 February evening, the Pakistan government announced in an X post about not playing the match against India. It stated, ‘The Government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants permission to Pakistan cricket team to participate in ICC World T20 2026. However, Pakistan cricket team will not take the field for the match against India scheduled for 15 February 2026.’ After Pakistan’s announcement, ICC has issued a statement saying that they are waiting for formal communication from PCB. The statement said, While respecting national policies of governments, playing selective matches goes against the fundamental principles of sport and its sanctity. This decision is not in the interest of world cricket and fans worldwide, especially Pakistani fans. This will impact Pakistan cricket and the entire cricket order. Hope PCB will reconsider this. Which team benefits from India-Pakistan match not happening?
India and Pakistan teams are in Group-A of the World Cup. All four groups have 5 teams each, out of which 2 teams from each will advance to the Super-8 stage. Since the Pakistan-India match will not happen, both teams will play only 3 matches each in the group stage. Pakistan will face Netherlands on 7 February, USA on 10 February, and Namibia on 18 February. Team India will play against USA on 7 February, Namibia on 12 February, and Netherlands on 18 February. According to ICC’s playing conditions, if any team refuses to play a match, that team’s match is considered ‘conceded’, and the other team is ‘awarded’ the match. This means the other team wins the match without actually playing it. According to clause 16.10.7 of the playing conditions, the team refusing to play is considered to have scored zero runs in their full quota of overs. Pakistan’s boycott would mean that India will get 2 points for this match scheduled for 15 February, and India’s path to reaching Super-8 will become much easier. While Pakistan’s non-participation will affect their run rate negatively. On the other hand, India’s run rate will improve since India won’t have any overs counted. Pakistan’s run rate could even go into negative. In Group-A, besides India and Pakistan, there are teams from Namibia, Netherlands and America. However, Pakistan can still reach Super-8 by performing well in other matches even in this situation. If India qualifies in top-2 from the group, they will have 3 matches in Super-8. Upon reaching top-2 from Super-8, there will be semifinal and then final match if they win. This means India will have minimum 3 and maximum 8 matches. Similarly, if Pakistan also reaches Super-8, they could face India. There could be more encounters if they progress further. However, it’s not yet decided if Pakistan will play the match if India comes up against them in knockouts. Can ICC remove Pakistan from the World Cup?
Generally, refusing to play at a venue does not result in elimination from the entire tournament. Previously in ICC World Cup history, there have been several instances where teams refused to play matches with certain teams citing security reasons, and those matches were forfeited, meaning the opposing team was declared the winner of that match. In the 1996 World Cup, when Australia and West Indies refused to play in Sri Lanka, both matches were forfeited and their points were awarded to Sri Lanka. Similarly, in the 2003 World Cup, England and New Zealand refused to play in Zimbabwe and Kenya respectively. These matches were also declared forfeited. In this matter, ICC’s next step will be clear only after formal discussions between ICC and Pakistan Cricket Board. If ICC considers this a violation of membership obligations or code of conduct, additional sanctions may be imposed on the Pakistan team. This could include exclusion from the World Cup, restrictions on playing in upcoming ICC events, or banning foreign players’ participation in domestic leagues like Pakistan’s PSL.
Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle wrote on X, ‘It remains to be seen what action ICC takes. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if ICC seeks compensation from Pakistan for broadcast revenue losses. What would happen if there’s an India-Pakistan final?’ What losses could Pakistan face if they pull out?
If Pakistan is removed from the World Cup, they will face 5 major losses… 1. Freeze on annual earnings from ICC 2. Direct loss of participation fees and prize money 3. Fine of about ₹18 crore 4. Ban on Bilateral Series 5. Risk of Pakistan Super League shutting down How much loss could ICC face if India-Pakistan matches don’t happen?
India-Pakistan match in the World Cup is the most watched match. Many times this match’s viewership is higher than the final. In the 2023 World Cup, around 170 million people watched the India-Pakistan match. In this T20 World Cup, broadcasters like Jio Hotstar will suffer the most from the absence of matches between both countries. The broadcaster has already sold all advertising slots for the match. According to reports, combining pre-sold ad inventory, sponsorships and prime broadcast slots, the broadcaster will face a loss of around ₹300 crore. During India-Pakistan matches, a 10-second ad costs between ₹25 to 40 lakh. According to several reports, revenue from a single India-Pakistan match in the World Cup accounts for approximately 8 to 10% of the entire World Cup earnings. ICC has no direct loss since they have already sold the media rights. However, due to these matches not happening, broadcasters may demand compensation from ICC. The ICC could then recover these losses by deducting from Pakistan’s revenue share from ICC. What political message does Pakistan want to convey by not playing matches with India?
Pakistan is boycotting matches with India for three major political reasons… 1. Political tension between both countries 2. Opposition to India is an important part of Pakistani politics 3. Solidarity with Bangladesh against India