Pakistan’s threats

India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy next year may trigger a response from the Pakistan government according to a report in The Dawn. The report indicates that the Pakistan cricket board may withdraw from the Champions Trophy tournament altogether. A move that will end up damaging Pakistan cricket more than anyone else.

The veiled threats are in response to the International Cricket Council (ICC) informing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) about the BCCI’s decision to not send the Indian cricket to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy tournament. As a result, the ICC have now sought a response from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on hosting the tournament in a hybrid model like the Asia Cup 2023 last year. The PCB had on Sunday confirmed that it received an email from the ICC that India declined to travel to the neighboring country.

“Unless the PCB decides to pull out of hosting the Champions Trophy the current plan is to hold India’s matches in UAE and the final in Dubai,” an ICC source was quoted as saying by PTI news agency. “The Indian Cricket Board has told the ICC that a Hybrid Model is acceptable to them only if the final is held in Dubai and not in Pakistan,” the source added.

Pakistan had been handed the hosting rights to the Champions Trophy, which is making its return to the ICC calendar for the first time since 2017. For Pakistan cricket this is a huge opportunity as this is the first time they will be hosting an ICC tournament in over two decades, and the first time they will be hosting the Champions trophy.

Meanwhile the Pakistani side has resorted to withdrawal threats in case a hybrid model is imposed, “In such a case, one of the options the government is mul­ling, is that of asking the PCB to ensure Pakistan don’t participate in the Champions Trophy,” Pakistani media house The Dawn was quoted a source adding that the Pakistan government was looking at the issue “seriously”. According to a report in ‘Dawn’, PCB is also “preparing a questionnaire” for the ICC questioning why India cannot travel for the Champions Trophy.

So far a report by PTI has said that the ICC has sought confirmation from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), if the hybrid model is acceptable to them. If Pakistan rejects the hybrid proposal and pulls out of the tournament, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates are suggested as the next favourites to host the Champions Trophy to be held in 2025.

The source also suggested potential legal ramifications for the ICC if Pakistan takes a strong stance. “There would be legal implications from commercial partners as the ICC has provided undertakings to the broadcasters, sponsors that all top cricket playing nations will participate in its tournaments,” the report quoted the source as saying.

Condition of Pakistan Cricket

Pakistan’s cricket has been going through tremendous ups and downs over the years. The country has been riddled with terror attacks and many teams have avoided travel to the nation on a number of grounds, the safety and security of their players one of the foremost concerns.

Many teams have backed out from set tournaments in the country due to security complications. In 2021 the England team did not travel for matches in Pakistan over fears of player safety. The cancellation was at the back of the New Zealand Cricket team abandoning its tour of Pakistan following a government alert that warned of a possible attack outside Rawalpindi Stadium.

For the past few years many teams have resorted to sending their B and C teams on the Pakistan tour, opting to rest their star players whilst sending inexperienced semi youth teams instead. The major reason of security concerns lingers especially since the 2009 attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus in Lahore. The armed attack, killed seven people and injured several others.

Apart from its security issues, Pakistan cricket is also suffering from outdated and degrading infrastructure. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had earlier also emphasized the urgent need for upgrading the dilapidated stadiums in the country that fall far short from international standards. “There was a world of difference between our stadiums and those in the rest of the world. In no way were they international stadiums; no stadium qualifies in international standards — no seats, no bathrooms and the view seems you are watching from 500 metres away.” Naqvi had stated.

PCB’s Financial condition

Pakistan’s cricket is not in a great financial condition, its proposed stadium upgrades are estimated to cost upwards of Rs 12.8 billion. It has lost out on a lot of revenue due to cancelled tours, and B teams being sent by other boards. Loss of interest among the local audience has also led to a loss of revenue for the PCB. Only last year it lost the Asia cup hosting rights to a hybrid model.

The previous PCB chief Ramiz Raja had also pointed out the dependency of the PCB on the BCCI for its survival, “PCB is funded 50% by the ICC that is funded 90% by the BCCI or in a way, the Indian business houses are running Pakistan cricket. If tomorrow Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi feels that we won’t provide any funding to Pakistan, then this cricket board can collapse.” Raja said.

Ramiz Raja had been extremely vocal on how the cricket system of Pakistan runs and functions entirely on the monetary funding received from the ICC and how it would suffer it ceases to exist due to any reason someday. This, when India has not played cricket in Pakistan since 2008, with matches between the two nations taking place only at ICC tournaments. India not touring Pakistan is already a massive revenue and rating loss for the country, losing the rights to an ICC event may be even more damaging.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is currently the richest cricket board in the world with a net worth of USD 2.25 billion as of 2023, and an annual revenue of 517 million dollars. While the PCB lags far behind, currently earning an annual revenue of $127 million, with an estimated net worth of $59 million. The Indian .Premier League (IPL) has a net worth of ₹13,753 crore while the Pakistan Super League’s net worth is just ₹57.8 crore. The financial difference between the two boards is staggering.

There are numerous reasons internal and external that have led to a major fall off for Pakistan cricket. It is no longer considered among the top teams in the sport. If the PCB continues to force its stand on India, the BCCI and the ICC, then it will lead to stronger consequences on Pakistan cricket, ones they may not be able to shake off.