The impasse between the International Cricket Council (ICC), Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) continues as Pakistan have decided to boycott the marquee clash against arch-rivals India. With only six days to go for the game, the standoff is yet to be resolved as the ICC, PCB and BCB are reportedly in talks in Lahore.
As per several media reports, PCB has put forth three demands to the ICC if they are to step down from their boycott stance. They were the resumption of India vs Pakistan bilateral ties, increased revenue, and ensuring that the handshake happens between two teams before and after the match.
Meanwhile, according to a report in Dawn, PCB has made another passing demand, asking for Bangladesh to be compensated financially due to their ouster from the T20 World Cup. However, the ICC has shot down their demand as per the report, stating that they can't offer more than their usual revenue from the ICC.
"ICC has nothing to offer to Bangladesh as compensation but to ensure it would get a full share from the ICC earnings," a report in the Dawn stated.
Will Pakistan really step down from its boycott stance?'
Pakistan had earlier made it clear that they are boycotting the clash against India to show solidarity with Bangladesh who were knocked out of the T20 World Cup for refusing to travel to India, citing security reasons. One of the primary reasons for Pakistan's boycott is the ICC's biased decision towards Bangladesh.
"The government of Pakistan wanted to show solidarity with Bangladesh. Therefore, as a protest, the national team was restricted from playing its match with India scheduled for February 15," the source stated. Reportedly, ICC has already threatened Pakistan with massive sanctions if they go ahead with the boycott, even as Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has also requested PCB to reconsider its decision again as the boycott will certainly hurt the global cricket economy.
Also Read
