Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani has urged current ICC chief Jay Shah to step in and help defuse tensions after Pakistan decided to boycott its scheduled match against India.
The highly anticipated India-Pakistan game was set to take place in Colombo on February 15. Speaking to Dawn from London, Mani said Shah must take personal responsibility to prevent further damage to international cricket.
Mani, who previously served as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said Jay Shah should directly engage with Pakistan’s leadership, including PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, and also meet the Pakistani government.
“He should go to Pakistan to convince the government to end the boycott and also listen to their grievances,” Mani said. He added that Shah’s involvement was necessary not only to reduce tensions but also to protect world cricket from major financial losses.
Commenting on reports that the ICC had assigned Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja to negotiate with the PCB, Mani dismissed the move, saying Khawaja represents associate member Singapore and is not suitable for handling such a sensitive issue.
Mani also said that Pakistan’s decision to boycott the match suggests the government has solid reasons, particularly if the issue is taken to the ICC’s Arbitration Committee in the future.
However, he acknowledged that Pakistan’s legal position may not be strong because the ICC already moved Pakistan’s matches from India to Sri Lanka under the hybrid model. Still, Mani said a strong legal team could argue Pakistan’s case effectively.
He warned that India, due to its strong influence within the ICC, could once again secure a favorable ruling, similar to what happened in 2018.
“If the ICC again fails to deliver justice to Pakistan and chooses to please India, Pakistan has the right to take the case to the World Court of Arbitration in Switzerland,” Mani said. “There, Pakistan will have a strong chance to win because there are many incidents that clearly show political interference in ICC affairs.”
On the financial impact of canceling the India-Pakistan match, Mani said the game generates massive revenue for the ICC, but Pakistan receives only 5.75 percent of ICC income, while India receives a much larger share of 38.5 percent.
Mani said the current situation presents an opportunity for Pakistan to push back against political influence in international cricket. He criticized the ICC for failing to act against India on multiple occasions.
He cited incidents during the Asia Cup where the Indian team refused to shake hands with Pakistan players and later declined to receive the trophy from Asian Cricket Council Chairman Mohsin Naqvi because he is Pakistani.
“The ICC did not take any action in either case,” Mani said.
He acknowledged that Pakistan’s boycott could violate the ICC members’ participation agreement signed by the PCB, but said the negative attitude of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) left Pakistan with no choice.