ICC warns Pakistan Cricket Board of JioStar legal action over India match boycott

New Delhi: The ICC has warned the Pakistan Cricket Board that both the PCB and the ICC could face legal action from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup’s official broadcasters JioStar if Pakistan goes ahead with its boycott of the February 15 match against India in Colombo, according to a NewsDrum report.

Pakistan cleared its team on Sunday to participate in the T20 World Cup, which begins February 7, but said it “shall not take the field” for the India fixture on February 15.

Pakistan is understood to have taken the call on instructions from its government, but has not officially communicated the reasons in writing to the ICC yet.

"When the ICC signed its four-year deal with the broadcaster for all ICC events, the contract included Pakistan and India matches, based on which the broadcaster made the payments to the ICC," the source explained.

"So the broadcaster will be within its rights to take the PCB and ICC to court over a major breach of the contract."

The situation is already hurting advertising sentiment. Multiple advertisers told BestMediaInfo.com that their interest has dipped in the World Cup and that the larger concern is not just the loss of one marquee match but the uncertainty it injects into the entire tournament package. 

Several brands said they are holding back commitments until the ICC’s position becomes clearer, as the India–Pakistan fixture typically anchors negotiations on pricing and inventory.

Executives estimate that if the India–Pakistan group game does not happen, the host JioStar could face advertising revenue loss of around Rs 200 crore to Rs 250 crore.

On the cricket governance side, the report said the ICC could withhold Pakistan’s full annual revenue share of around USD 35 million and use that pool to meet broadcaster obligations. 

A PCB source said chairman Mohsin Naqvi consulted the board’s legal experts before briefing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the issue last week, and the board is bracing for serious consequences.

“If Pakistan doesn’t relent and play against India, not only will they face financial penalties, perhaps a lawsuit from broadcasters, but also any efforts to go to the ICC Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) are likely to fail,” a PCB source was quoted as saying.

The ICC’s DRC is an internal committee and does not hear appeals against decisions taken by the ICC board, the report added.

Sources said the PCB could face questions despite the government directive, since Pakistan is playing its matches at a neutral venue in Sri Lanka, as per its own stated preference, and not in India. 

Sources also pointed out that while the Indian government has not permitted its team to play in Pakistan, it has not stopped India from playing Pakistan at neutral venues in the Asia Cup or ICC events.

The NewsDrum report said the PCB’s boycott decision is being viewed by some within the board as an act of solidarity with Bangladesh after recent developments there. It also noted that the ICC’s four-year broadcast contract for ICC events factored in India–Pakistan fixtures, and broadcasters could argue breach of contract if the match does not take place.

Meanwhile, sources tracking developments in Pakistan cricket said there is a view that Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister, could reconsider after Bangladesh’s general elections on February 12, if the political set-up changes, leaving a narrow window before the February 15 match for a possible reversal.