The International Cricket Council (ICC) can take many punitive steps against Pakistan. This action can be taken after the decision of the Pakistan government to boycott the T20 World Cup 2026 match against India and it also includes banning the team from the upcoming season of this prestigious competition.
Other punishments could include refusal of top member countries to play bilateral series with Pakistan, heavy financial fines as well as a ban on foreign players from participating in the Pakistan Super League.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), supporting the decision of Bangladesh’s exit from the T20 World Cup, has decided not to play its group league match against India in Colombo on February 15, despite its contract with the ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to play the match at a neutral venue which is binding.
“The PCB has not yet informed the ICC officially but since the official announcement has been made, the ICC is expected to take some strict action,” an ICC board source told PTI on condition of anonymity. The ICC Board will hold a virtual meeting tomorrow (Monday) and decide whether Pakistan should be allowed to play in the tournament or not. If they are allowed then PCB may face some severe punishment.
So what could be the possible punishment against PCB?
“They are violating a binding contract, so the ICC member boards can refuse to go to Pakistan for a bilateral series,” the source said. If they play bilateral series, there is every possibility that the results will have no impact on the ICC rankings in all formats.
He said, “There is a possibility of Pakistan not getting any WTC points.” However, the biggest loss for Pakistan could be due to the ban on the Pakistan Super League, which generates revenue for it.
The source further said, “Except retired players or free agents, current foreign international players may be barred from participating in the PSL. Apart from this, PCB will also have to compensate the revenue loss caused to ICC’s host broadcaster Jio-Star, which could reach millions of dollars. Their annual revenue can also be stopped.
If ICC bans Pakistan from the tournament then Uganda will take their place but this will be decided only after the board meeting.
Generally the advertising rate for India-Pakistan T20 match is between Rs 25 lakh to Rs 40 lakh per 10 seconds. The loss in advertising revenue alone could exceed Rs 200 crore.
Special points:
Possible impact of Pakistan’s boycott of the match against India:
1. Complete ban from the tournament.
2. The annual revenue from ICC can be stopped.
3. PCB may be asked to compensate Jio-Star for the revenue loss.
4. Bilateral series banned, WTC points and ICC rankings may be affected.
5. All foreign players (except free agents) may be banned from playing in the PCL.
Sudhir