The 2026 T20 World Cup is facing a diplomatic and legal crisis after Pakistan announced it would not participate in its crucial match against India on February 15 in Colombo. Despite the Pakistan team being in Sri Lanka, a directive from the Government of Pakistan has set up a potential conflict with the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Could Pakistan face ICC sanctions for boycotting the India match?
All Full Members of the ICC must follow a Members Participation Agreement (MPA). According to Clause 5.7.1, members are required to play every scheduled match without conditions. A selective boycott could be viewed as a violation of this agreement. However, legal experts Nandan Kamath and Reza Ali mention a possible exception: the Force Majeure clause.
This clause, often used for natural disasters or wars, also covers “government orders.” The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) might argue that it must obey its government’s directive, making it impossible to play the match.
However, the ICC could challenge this by pointing to Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB Chairman who also serves as an interior minister. This dual role creates uncertainty, suggesting the Force Majeure claim could be seen as self-inflicted. Additionally, a hybrid model was set up to manage India vs Pakistan matches, and the ICC might argue that the PCB didn’t fulfill its responsibility to find a solution.
Possible sanctions against Pakistan: from points to membership
If the boycott goes ahead, the immediate consequence would be straightforward: India would get two points, and Pakistan would face a significant drop in its Net Run Rate (NRR), as a forfeit is counted as scoring zero runs. However, the financial and governance repercussions could be more severe.
Expected sanctions include:
- Broadcaster Lawsuits: An India-Pakistan match is worth about $38 million in media rights, and broadcasters like JioStar could pursue substantial claims against the ICC, likely affecting the PCB financially.
- Withholding Revenue: The ICC could withhold Pakistan’s yearly revenue share, estimated at $35 million, to cover any damages.
- Suspension: In a worst-case scenario, the ICC could suspend the PCB’s membership due to a serious breach of obligations. Although rare, the 2023 suspension of Sri Lanka Cricket for government interference shows the ICC’s readiness to act when autonomy is at stake.
While former ICC Chairman Ehsan Mani suggests that government orders should shield the PCB, similar to India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, the ICC has indicated that selective participation raises different issues. A refusal to play at a neutral venue fundamentally impacts the tournament’s fairness and commercial aspects.
