Following strong reactions to Pakistan’s announcement that it will not play its T20 World Cup 2026 match against India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly assigned its Deputy Chairman, Imran Khwaja, to conduct back-channel discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), NDTV reported on Wednesday.
Khwaja, who represents the Singapore Cricket Association and is regarded within the ICC as a neutral intermediary, has been tasked with persuading Pakistan to participate in the group-stage match against India scheduled for February 15 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, according to Firstpost.
The development follows the Pakistani government’s announcement on Sunday that while the country would take part in the T20 World Cup 2026, it would boycott the match against long-time rival India.
Earlier, Geo News reported that Pakistan’s decision to avoid the February 15 fixture was intended as a gesture of solidarity with Bangladesh, which was removed from the tournament by the ICC.
The ICC had rejected the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request to move their matches to a venue outside India. The BCB had sought the change following the removal of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the instructions of the Indian cricket board, a move that sparked widespread outrage in Bangladesh.
The cricketing body then replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament, stating that it was not feasible to revise the schedule so close to the February 7 — start of the World Cup.
Meanwhile, multiple other factors influenced Pakistan’s decision to boycott the match, including ICC’s perceived biased stance towards Bangladesh playing a central role, with government sources noting that the Pakistani team was instructed not to take the field against India on February 15 as “a form of protest”.
The sources said that ICC chief Jay Shah’s partial decisions had effectively turned the International Cricket Council into an extension of the Indian cricket board.
They further said that these biased decisions have undermined the principles of fairness and equality, accusing the ICC of applying different standards to different countries on its platform.
Since then, the ICC, in its statement, has expressed hope that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would work towards a “mutually acceptable resolution”.
While recognising the prerogative of national governments, the ICC publicly urged the PCB to reconsider, arguing that the decision harms the sport and its global fanbase.
The council encouraged the Pakistani board to pursue a mutually acceptable solution that protects the interests of all stakeholders in the game, saying that the boycott decision was not “in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan”.
Billions in losses
It is pertinent to know that Indian broadcasters are facing prospective losses in billions owing to Pakistan’s announcement of boycotting its match against India.
Green Shirts are in Group A along with India, Namibia, Netherlands and USA, and are playing all their matches in Sri Lanka, which is a co-host of the tournament along with India.
Pakistan will play their first match against the Netherlands on February 7, the opening day of the T20 World Cup, and then take on the USA on February 10, and Namibia on February 18.
The India-Pakistan fixture is the most commercially lucrative game, which bankrolls the tournament, drives broadcast valuations, sponsorship deals and advertising premiums.
In commercial terms, the overall value of a single India-Pakistan T20 match is around $500 million, approximately INR45,000 crore when broadcast rights, advertising premiums, sponsorship activations, ticket sales and downstream commercial activity are taken into account.
As per a report, advertising slots during an India-Pakistan T20 match command between INR25 lakh and INR40 lakh for a 10-second spot, significantly higher than even knockout matches involving India against other top teams.
The most immediate financial impact would be felt by the official broadcast rights holder. Advertising revenue from the India-Pakistan match alone is estimated at around INR300 crore, the Indian publication cited industry projections as suggesting.
According to reports, both the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would face an estimated immediate loss of around INR200 crore.
Source: The News
