ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Saturday rejected Indian media reports claiming it had written to the International Cricket Council to invoke force majeure regarding a boycott of India-Pakistan matches.
A PCB spokesperson said the board had neither sent any formal communication to the ICC on invoking force majeure nor received any response from the global governing body outlining the legal implications of such a move.
The spokesperson also dismissed reports that the PCB had sought dialogue or a settlement with the ICC on the matter.
Reacting to the denial, Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta questioned the consistency of reports surrounding the issue, saying clarity was needed if no formal engagement between the PCB and ICC had taken place.
In a post on social media platform X, Gupta said that if the PCB’s position was accurate and no correspondence or discussions were underway, then the spokesperson’s statement should be taken at face value. However, he argued that reports of subsequent dialogue or settlement talks would contradict that stance.
Gupta also urged readers to consult reporting by non-Indian media outlets, suggesting that international coverage offered additional context to the unfolding situation.
Pakistan's boycott of playing India
The ICC is in shock over Pakistan's decision to boycott the lucrative T20 World Cup fixture against arch-rival India to express solidarity with Bangladesh, which was excluded from the tournament after refusing to play their matches in India. Earlier, reports emerged that the ICC had tasked its vice-chairman with engaging the PCB to bring it to the negotiating table amid concerns over a potential boycott of India-Pakistan fixtures and its broader implications for ICC events.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan cricket board, the World Cup co-host with India, has also requested that the PCB reconsider its decision, saying the boycott would cause financial losses and harm the island's tourism industry, which is still recovering from the 2022 economic meltdown.
"Any non-participation will have wide-ranging implications, including substantial financial exposure for SLC [Sri Lanka Cricket] and the potential loss of anticipated tourism inflows," the board said.
Speculation over the matter has intensified due to the commercial and sporting significance of India-Pakistan matches, which remain among the ICC’s most valuable properties.
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