High-voltage drama continues ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. After the Bangladesh Cricket Board, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has now crossed all limits of shamelessness. It has announced a boycott of the group match against India on February 15. However, the political battle that Pakistan started by boycotting this match now seems to be causing trouble for its alleged ally, Bangladesh. This decision is not only likely to cause financial losses to the ICC and the PCB, but discontent has emerged within the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
India-Pakistan Match: Cricket's Biggest Money-Spinner
The T20 match between India and Pakistan is considered one of the most lucrative cricket matches in the world. Including broadcast rights, advertising, sponsorships, tickets, and other commercial activities, the value of this match is estimated at approximately $500 million. A large portion of this revenue goes to the ICC, which is then distributed among all member boards. Therefore, it is considered an economic engine not only for India or Pakistan but for the entire cricket world. However, now that the PCB has decided to boycott the match, the ICC may compensate for the losses by deducting funds from the PCB's share.
Why is Bangladesh Upset?
Interestingly, Pakistan boycotted the match against India in support of Bangladesh, after Bangladesh refused to play in India and was subsequently excluded from the tournament, with Scotland taking its place. But now a section of the BCB is unhappy with this decision. Speaking to the Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo, a senior director of the Bangladesh Cricket Board said, "If the India-Pakistan match doesn't happen, the entire cricket world will suffer financially. Our dividend will also decrease. We didn't want such a loss."
Concerns over Reduced ICC Revenue
Another BCB official clearly expressed concern over the reduction in ICC revenue. He said, "This will directly affect the ICC's central revenue pool. We are also stakeholders in that fund." Smaller countries might be satisfied with one or two hundred thousand dollars, but how will we survive with our infrastructure?'
What was Pakistan's objective?
According to BCB officials, Pakistan's objective was clear: to send a strong message against India and challenge the dominance of Indian cricket. One official admitted, "From that perspective, this decision makes sense for Pakistan." But the question remains whether it is right to put the rest of the cricketing world at a disadvantage for the sake of this political message?
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