ISLAMABAD: Pakistan boycott of its high-profile match against India in the T20 World Cup is under consideration as tensions rise following Bangladesh’s exclusion from the tournament, sources close to the matter said on Thursday.
Sources said the option of a Pakistan boycott is being evaluated as a symbolic protest against the ICC’s handling of Bangladesh’s security concerns.
However, sources stated Pakistan can also choose not to play its encounter against India on February 15 in Colombo, which would mean a loss of only two points for Pakistan, according to the regulations by the ICC. However, a lot of commercial aspects will be involved in this scenario, since the match between India and Pakistan is regarded as the financially most lucrative match in world cricket.
According to officials briefed on the discussions, the PCB could still pull out of the game as a protest gesture but keep all other avenues for participation open. “The board is considering all avenues. Even if Pakistan stays in the competition, protest options will be considered,” said another source.
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This controversy began when the Bangladesh Cricket Board decided not to make the trip to India to play in the Twenty20 World Cup, due to some issues related to the safety of the players. The team requested the ICC to transfer the venues of all its matches to Sri Lanka, where this tournament was already in progress.
However, it was rejected by the ICC, which instead axed Bangladesh from the tournament, replacing their position in the tournament trophy with Scotland. An uproar has greeted the issue in cricketing world circles, with some individuals questioning the consistency of policies by the ICC, specifically those by the body concerning matters of security.
The sources from PCB explain, “If security concerns are accepted for some teams while others are denied, then it’s not an even playing field. There have been some questions raised about governance, particularly why the ICC cannot accommodate Bangladesh.
A potential boycott by Pakistan against their Asian neighbours, India, may also be a heavy loss for the ICC financially, according to cricket analysts, as matches between Pakistan and India can accrue hundreds of millions of dollars from broadcasting contracts, sponsorship, and global audience footprint.
However, in spite of the controversy being in the brew, the PCB authorities allegedly wish not to tender a complete disconnection from the T20 World Cup format. Rather, they seem to be mulling alternative protesting measures that reflect their position without disconnecting Pakistan from the international cricket system.
On the other hand, the ICC has failed to offer any clarification on why Bangladesh has been left out, apart from its earlier admission that “logistical and scheduling reasons” related to the tournament were the reasons behind its decision. Of course, to add to the furor, this lack of transparency has only contributed to more suspense.
Commentators had suggested that in the past, in some of the controversy that had come about due to politically significant matches, the governing body of the sport, in the case of cricket, had the concern of the host nation’s interests themselves when it came to the international matches that would be taking place in that country.
Analyzing this situation, the commentators had suggested that the current situation emphasizes the difficulties that the ICC is facing in the bid to try and create a balance in the process.
With the deliberations remaining inside the confines of a closed door, all eyes are already focused squarely on the next course of action from the PCB. When Pakistan does decide either to go ahead with the match against India or to follow through with the boycott, all expectations are that the outcome of this decision will have far-reaching implications.
Analysts believe a Pakistan boycott of the India match would have far-reaching sporting and commercial consequences for the T20 World Cup.
For now, the PCB maintains that no final decision has been made, emphasizing that national interest, player safety, and the integrity of the game will guide its course of action.
