Pakistan Super League chairman Najam Sethi has said that India will find it tough to boycott Pakistan in the Champions Trophy next year. In the aftermath of the Uri attacks in which nineteen Indian soldiers were killed, the BCCI has made it clear that it will not resume the bilateral cricketing ties with the arch rivals. Not only that, the cricket board also wrote to the governing body not to place India and Pakistan in the same group at the Champions Trophy in England.

The arch-rivals have not played a full bilateral Test series after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which led to the suspension of cricketing ties between the two countries.They played a short series of three ODIs and two T20 matches in India in December 2012 but otherwise they have met only in ICC-organised events or the Asia Cup. And now seeing both the teams play against each other is looking like a distant dream after the terrorist attacks.

However, Sethi believes that the BCCI cannot afford to boycott Pakistan in the Champions Trophy and if they do, the PCB will demand full points of the game.

Speaking to The Dawn, Sethi said::“As much as 20% of the ICC event’s revenue will be generated through Pakistan-India game and ICC too realises the importance of this match,” said Sethi.

“The Indian Government may not allow BCCI to play against Pakistan in the event. But since India lost 6 points recently for not playing the bilateral series against us which was part of ICC Women’s Championship, the BCCI cannot afford such a thing in an important tournament like the Champions Trophy,” he added.

Recently, the ICC awarded Pakistan women’s team all six points after the Indian team forfeited three matches of the ICC Women’s Championship against the arch rivals.