T20 World Cup
\nCricketing body\u2019s Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja given responsibility to handle pressing matter, claims Indian media
\n LAHORE
\nIn the aftermath of Pakistan\u2019s announcement against playing their T20 World Cup 2026 match against India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked its Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja to hold back-channel negotiations with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), NDTV reported on Wednesday.
\nKhwaja, who represents the Singapore Cricket Association and is seen within the ICC as a neutral figure who can talk to all sides, has been asked to convince Pakistan to play their T20 World Cup 2026 group match against India on February 15 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, reported Firstpost.
\nThe report comes as the Pakistani government, on Sunday, announced that it would participate in the T20 World Cup 2026 but would boycott the match against arch-rival India.
\nGeo News has previously reported that Pakistan had decided to boycott the February 15 match to show solidarity with Bangladesh, whom the ICC kicked out of the tournament.
\nThe ICC had rejected the Bangladesh Cricket Board\u2019s (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.
\nThe 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 \u2014 start of the World Cup.
\nMeanwhile, multiple other factors influenced Pakistan\u2019s decision to boycott the match, including ICC\u2019s 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 \u201ca form of protest\u201d. The sources said that ICC chief Jay Shah\u2019s partial decisions had effectively turned the International Cricket Council into an extension of the Indian cricket board.
\nThey 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.
\nSince then, the ICC, in its statement, has expressed hope that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would work towards a \u201cmutually acceptable resolution\u201d.
\nWhile 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.
\nThe 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 \u201cin the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan\u201d.
\nLosses to broadcasters
\nIt is pertinent to know that Indian broadcasters are facing prospective losses in billions owing to Pakistan\u2019s announcement of boycotting its match against India.
\nGreen 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.
\nPakistan will play their first match against Netherlands on February 7, the opening day of the T20 World Cup, and then take on USA on February 10, and Namibia on February 18.
\nThe India-Pakistan fixture is the most commercially lucrative game, which bankrolls the tournament, drives broadcast valuations, sponsorship deals and advertising premiums.
\nIn 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.
\nAs 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.
\nThe 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.
\nAccording to reports, both the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would face an estimated immediate loss of around INR200 crore.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
T20 World Cup Cricketing body\u2019s Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja given responsibility to handle pressing matter, claims Indian media LAHORE In the aftermath of Pakistan\u2019s announcement against playing their T20 World Cup 2026 match against India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked its Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja to hold back-channel negotiations with the Pakistan Cricket […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":529589,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-529578","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n