ICC set to penalize PCB financially as they remain rigid about boycotting India match in T20 World Cup 2026

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly planning to financially punish the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) if they skip their T20 World Cup 2026 match against India on February 15 in Colombo.

has requested deputy chairman Imran Khwaja to pursue back-channel negotiations with the PCB about its T20 World Cup stance, according to Revsportz.  

Khwaja, who represents the Singapore Cricket Association, has been tasked with pushing Pakistan to play a group stage match against India on February 15. Pakistan said on Sunday that they will participate in the T20 World Cup but will boycott the match against India.

Khawaja would allegedly attempt to "play the peacemaker" during the continuing standoff, but the ICC has not received any formal correspondence from the PCB regarding the issue.

According to a PCB source on Tuesday, the ICC has informed the Pakistan Cricket Board that it may face legal action from JioStar, the official broadcaster of the T20 World Cup, if it boycotts the match against India on February 15.

On orders from their government, Pakistan chose to boycott the February 15 match in Colombo, though they haven't yet formally given the ICC their justifications.

There is a chance that the ICC will withhold Pakistan's full yearly income share, which is approximately USD 35 million, and use that money to compensate the broadcasters, according to PTI.

Before briefing PM Shehbaz Sharif on the matter last week, Chairman Mohsin Naqvi sought guidance from the board's legal experts, but according to a PCB source, the board is preparing for potentially dire repercussions.

"If Pakistan doesn't relent and play against India, not only will they face financial penalties, perhaps a lawsuit from broadcasters, but also any efforts to go to the ICC Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) are likely to fail," a PCB source told PTI.

ICC's DRC is an internal committee that doesn't hear appeals against the decisions made by its own board.

"The PCB might face problems regardless of their government directive to not play India, as they are playing all their matches at a neutral venue (Sri Lanka) as per their wishes and not in India," another PCB source said.

"Secondly, while the Indian government has not given permission to its team to play in Pakistan, it has not stopped them from playing against Pakistan at neutral venues in Asia Cup or ICC events even after the May conflict," the board source, who tracks Naqvi closely, added.

(PTI inputs)

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