Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly apprised ICC of its stance regarding India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy which could cost the governing body millions of dollars in lost revenue in the future.
In a bold move, Pakistan is considering a boycott of ICC events hosted in India if the BCCI continues to refuse to send its team to Pakistan for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Pakistan’s government is weighing restrictions on participation against India, stating that sports and politics must remain separate for international competition to thrive.
A full boycott from Pakistan could impact numerous ICC tournaments slated for India from 2024 to 2031, disrupting the marquee India-Pakistan matches that are pivotal for ICC’s viewership and revenue.
Pakistan’s absence in these tournaments could lead to steep declines in sponsorships and broadcast revenue, endangering the ICC’s financial projections.
The ICC recently secured $3.2 billion in broadcast rights for the 2024-2027 cycle and expected an additional $1 billion from other streams, heavily reliant on the high-stakes India-Pakistan fixtures that have become the centerpiece of ICC events.
The importance of these fixtures was underscored by the record-breaking 173 million Indian TV viewers and 225 million digital viewers during the 2023 World Cup.
The 2021 T20 World Cup clash between India and Pakistan generated 15.9 billion minutes of engagement, underscoring Pakistan’s crucial role in bolstering viewership and revenue.
Pakistan’s absence from ICC events in India could also prompt contractual disputes with commercial partners, potentially leading to revenue shortfalls and affecting the ICC’s financial distribution model for its member nations.
While Pakistan has shown cooperation in the previous years, it remains to be seen how this issue will pan out. As Pakistan stands firm on separating sports from political disputes, the global cricket community watches closely, aware of the potential shifts this decision could bring to the sport’s financial landscape.
Listen to Latest Podcast
📢 For the latest Sports news, videos and analysis join ProPakistani's WhatsApp Group now!
Follow ProPakistani on Google News & scroll through your favourite content faster!
Support independent journalism
If you want to join us in our mission to share independent, global journalism to the world, we’d love to have you on our side. If you can, please support us on a monthly basis. It takes less than a minute to set up, and you can rest assured that you’re making a big impact every single month in support of open, independent journalism. Thank you.
If Pakistan boycotts ICC events in India, it will hurt no one but Pakistan. While India-Pakistan matches earn good revenue, its mainly because of Indian viewership & sponsors. Some revenue will be lost without India-Pakistan match but Pakistan can be easily replaced by another team. Indian team will attract revenue no matter who they play.