ICC warning to PCB: Play India or risk lawsuit and massive revenue loss

NEW DELHI: The ICC has cautioned the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that it could look ineligible enactment from T20 World Cup authoritative broadcasters JioStar implicit its determination to boycott the February 15 lucifer against India, a PCB root revealed connected Tuesday.Pakistan opted to skip the Colombo fixture pursuing directives from its government, though the PCB has yet to formally pass its reasons to the ICC.

As earlier reported by PTI, the ICC could perchance withhold Pakistan’s full yearly gross stock — estimated astatine astir USD 35 cardinal — and divert that magnitude towards compensating the broadcasters.According to PCB sources, president Mohsin Naqvi had consulted the board’s ineligible squad earlier briefing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif past week, but officials are present preparing for superior repercussions."If Pakistan doesn't relent and play against India, not lone volition they look fiscal penalties, possibly a suit from broadcasters but besides immoderate efforts to spell to the ICC Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) are apt to fail," a PCB root told PTI.The ICC’s DRC is an interior sheet that does not entertain appeals against decisions taken by its ain board."The PCB mightiness look problems careless of their authorities directive to not play India arsenic they are playing each their matches astatine a neutral venue (Sri Lanka) arsenic per their wishes and not successful India," different PCB root said.

"Secondly, portion the Indian authorities has not fixed support to its squad to play successful Pakistan, it has not stopped them from playing against Pakistan astatine neutral venues successful Asia Cup oregon ICC events adjacent aft the May conflict," the committee source, who intimately tracks Naqvi, added.While the PCB is yet to nonstop a written connection to the ICC, the boycott is being viewed arsenic an enactment of solidarity with Bangladesh pursuing their ouster.Explaining the contractual obligations, a root said, "When the ICC signed its 4 twelvemonth woody with the broadcaster for each ICC events, the declaration included Pakistan and India matches based connected which the broadcaster made the payments to the ICC.""So the broadcaster volition beryllium wrong its rights to instrumentality the PCB and ICC to tribunal implicit a large breach of the contract."Will Naqvi marque U-turn aft Bangladesh elections?There is speculation that Naqvi, who besides serves arsenic Pakistan’s interior minister, could reverse the determination erstwhile Bangladesh holds wide elections connected February 12 and a antiauthoritarian authorities replaces the existent medication led by Mohammed Yunus."Naqvi much than a cricket head is simply a politician, who is not 1 spot bothered astir the payment of the nationalist team. He is trying to people a brownie constituent with his and could good flip erstwhile elections are held connected February 12."There would inactive beryllium 2 days earlier the India crippled and things could conscionable change. Else helium knows that Pakistan could beryllium ostracised," different root monitoring Pakistan cricket said.