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ToggleThe Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) may face income losses, lawsuits, and alienation from the cricket world if it withdraws from the ICC Champions Trophy due to an impasse with the governing body ICC over how to organize the 50-over game slated for February-March.
The flagship 50-over competition will be played in a hybrid format, according to multiple media reports. The Indian government denied the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) permission to send Team India to neighboring countries.
India’s attitude has not gone down well with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which has made significant demands to approve the hybrid concept for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The PCB believes it is unfair that Team India does not visit Pakistan while the Men in Green travel to India for ICC events.
The Mohsin Naqvi-led board has proposed a new format in which both India and Pakistan play their matches at neutral venues when ICC events are held in their respective nations.
Pakistan is bound by the MPA and host agreement it signed for the Champions Trophy 2025
A senior cricket administrator familiar with ICC events told PTI on Wednesday that the PCB would face a difficult decision not to participate in the Champions Trophy if their Hybrid Model formula is not fully accepted by the ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
“Pakistan has not only signed a host agreement with the ICC but like all other participating nations in the event it has also signed a mandatory members participation agreement (MPA) with the ICC. It is only after a member nation signs the MPA for playing in an ICC event that it is eligible to get a share of revenues earned from ICC events.
Most importantly when the ICC signed a broadcasting deal for all its events rights it has given a guarantee to them that all ICC members are available to play in their events including the Champions Trophy,” Administrator told PTI.
Last week, the ICC negotiated an agreement to hold next year’s Champions Trophy in a hybrid format, allowing India to play its share of matches in Dubai while agreeing “in principle” to a similar arrangement in multilateral competitions until 2027. However, a formal announcement is pending.
Pakistan can face lawsuits from ICC and member nations if they withdraw from the Champions Trophy 2025
According to the administrator, as part of the broadcasting agreement, at least one match between Pakistan and India must be organized for all ICC events.
He stated: “The estimated bid a broadcaster makes for a long-term deal with the ICC is only after he has calculated the estimated value of all matches involving all countries and it is no surprise that the broadcaster offsets his loss of revenues from other matches with the estimated earnings from selling commercial spots and other rights for the Pakistan and India fixture (s).”
The administrator stated that if Pakistan withdraws from the event, it may face lawsuits from the ICC and possibly some of the 16 other member boards on the ICC’s executive board and broadcaster, as their removal would reduce expected profits for all stakeholders.
He stated that, in addition to lawsuits, the Pakistani board faces the possibility of alienation because other boards do not now endorse the PCB’s Hybrid Model formula.
“PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has to come clean on the whole issue. MPA’s are the same for all countries and unless the PCB has kept some safeguard clauses in their host agreement with the ICC for the CT they face a tricky situation,” he said.
Pakistan doesn’t have support from member nations in their stand
The official stated that the PCB is being pressured to accept a hybrid model in which Pakistan’s stance of not playing in any ICC event in India is accepted, but the BCCI and ICC agree that the semifinals and finals of all ICC events scheduled in India in the coming years will be held in India, even if Pakistan qualifies for either of these matches.
The administrator also stated that the PCB lacked substantial support from other executive board members and that the ICC administration did not treat them with the respect they needed.
“The truth is the ICC kept on sweeping the issue of whether India would send its team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy under the carpet or ignoring it even when this elephant in the room was brought to their notice several times since the board granted hosting rights to Pakistan. Even the signing of the hosting rights was delayed until late last year within the PCB because they wanted a clear answer from the ICC and BCCI on this issue,” the administrator signed off.
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