LAHORE: Amid ambiguity surrounding India’s participation in the Champions Trophy, sources said Geo News On Tuesday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had written to the International Cricket Council (ICC) seeking the neighboring country’s refusal to send its team to Pakistan for the tournament.

The PCB’s letter to the ICC comes days after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCC) verbally informed the ICC of its decision not to participate in the mega-event to be held in Pakistan in February-March of next year.

The international body then communicated the matter to the PCB, prompting the latter to consult the Pakistani government on the issue.

The board intends to present a strong stance, reflecting government advice, and has decided not to accept any “hybrid model” for the procurement of Champions Trophy matches outside of Pakistan.

“While India’s participation contributes to the ICC’s revenue, the role of the PCB is equally crucial, and without the Pakistan-India matches, the ICC’s revenue would suffer significantly,” say sources.

The board intends to present a strong stance, reflecting government advice, and has decided not to accept any “hybrid model” for the procurement of Champions Trophy matches outside of Pakistan.

“While India’s participation contributes to the ICC’s revenue, the role of the PCB is equally crucial, and without the Pakistan-India matches, the ICC’s revenue would suffer significantly,” say sources.

Furthermore, there is a possibility that Pakistan will completely boycott ICC events in India for “mixing sports and politics” and refusing to visit Pakistan.

The move, if carried out, could have major financial and structural consequences for world cricket, as Pakistan’s absence could weaken ICC’s viewership and projected revenues from broadcasters and sponsors.

The ICC, which has secured $3.2 billion in broadcast rights for the 2024-2027 cycle and forecasts another $1 billion in other revenues, relies heavily on marquee events featuring Pakistan and India, which consistently attract record viewership and engagement.

“No India-Pakistan match in ICC events means all broadcast and sponsorship deals will fall through,” said a source who noted that a match in the ICC event is important for world cricket.

In recent years, the ICC has ensured that India plays Pakistan at least once in each of the world cricket events, thereby securing a significant share of the game’s revenue.

The match between the arch-rivals in the 2023 World Cup attracted unprecedented interest, with 173 million viewers on Indian television and 225 million viewers on digital.

It is worth noting that India has not played an international match in Pakistan since 2008. Last year, the BCCI refused to send a team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, leading to a hybrid format with subsequent stages held in Sri Lanka.

However, Pakistan traveled to India soon after for the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they failed to reach the semi-finals.