Sanctions, legal challenges, fines: 5 consequences Pakistan could face if it boycotts T20 World Cup 2026 match vs India

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated his government's decision of not playing the ICC T20 World Cup group stage match against India, which is scheduled to take place on 15 February in Colombo.

"We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that we will not play the match against India," the Pakistan PM said while addressing the federal cabinet in Islamabad. Sharif added that they have decided to boycott the India match after careful assessment and called for an appropriate decision. "There should be no politics in sports," he said. "We have taken this stand after deliberating on it carefully," he said, calling it an "appropriate decision".

However, this decision of Pakistan, which will be a serious breach of the ICC rules, can lead to heavy consequences for the country's cricketing establishment. Here we take a look at some of the consequences Pakistan may face if they decide to not participate in the match:

1. The match will be declared as forfeited by Pakistan, and India will be awarded 2 points if they go to Colombo, take part in practice sessions and the pre-match press conference. Pakistan's net run rate will also be negatively impacted in this case.

2. The ICC may also withhold Pakistan's revenue share in order to cover the financial losses it will face if the match does not go through. The annual revenue share of Pakistan from the ICC is around USD 35 million.

3. Pakistan may also face legal challenges in court from broadcasters, who will suffer financial losses if the match does not go through.

4. There is also a chance that the ICC might suspend or expel Pakistan's membership.

5. Pakistan, as a result of their boycott, can also be isolated from regional ICC events like the Asia Cup, and may also be denied hosting rights in future.

Why India vs Pak is crucial for ICC

Sami Ul Hasan, a former ICC executive told news outlet Al Jazeera that the ICC "will call a board meeting and convene all members to help resolve this situation. All the powers of the ICC rest with its board, who will decide on the next step."

“It could go all the way from slapping fines to suspending the membership of a board,” he told the publication while speculating on the measures ICC can take against Pakistan.

He also said that despite there being precedence of countries boycotting matches, the India vs Pakistan game will be different for the ICC since it is the biggest game of any international tournament.

“The biggest hit, if the biggest game of the tournament does not take place, will come from media rights, which form the main chunk of the revenue for the ICC,” he told Al Jazeera.

The financial effect of the boycott will not only impact the ICC and Pakistan, but other countries as well, Hasan said.

“The financial implications will be hard for certain countries – barring India, Australia and England – that rely on the ICC’s revenues to ensure the game continues to progress," he explained.