Overview:
The final demand is for the implementation of a handshake protocol, prompted by India’s refusal to shake hands with Pakistani players during the 2025 Asia Cup after the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has laid out three crucial conditions to the International Cricket Council (ICC) as part of discussions aimed at revisiting their decision on the February 15 T20 World Cup clash against India. A meeting in Lahore on Sunday saw PCB officials, together with Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) head Aminul Islam Bulbul, sit down with an ICC delegation to explore viable options and pave the way for the highly anticipated India-Pakistan encounter to go ahead as scheduled.
According to Cricbuzz, the PCB has presented a list of conditions to the ICC in a bid to reconsider its stance on boycotting India at the upcoming global event. Among the key demands, Pakistan is reportedly seeking a bigger slice of the revenue share from the ICC.
Three key conditions set by Pakistan for the ICC
A Larger Share of ICC Earnings
Revival of Bilateral Cricket Series with India
Implementation of the Handshake Protocol
The controversy erupted when the Pakistan government publicly announced that it would block the national team’s participation in the T20 World Cup clash against India, despite the game being scheduled at a neutral location. The Shehbaz Sharif-led regime refrained from offering specific reasons for the decision to snub their traditional rivals.
The ICC responded to Pakistan’s refusal to play against India by arranging a high-level meeting with PCB officials. While ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta participated virtually via Zoom, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja, and Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam Bulbul were all present in Lahore to discuss the matter.
As per Cricbuzz’s latest report, Bangladesh may approach the ICC for compensation, with Pakistan expected to assist in negotiating a settlement during the ongoing talks.
Why Pakistan raised these demands to the ICC
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appears to be using its financial leverage to push the ICC into addressing its three key demands. The PCB likely believes that the ICC stands to lose a significant amount of broadcasting revenue if the India-Pakistan match doesn’t take place, and this provides them with bargaining power.
Currently, Pakistan ranks as the fourth-largest recipient of ICC revenue, with 5.75% of the total. In 2023, the PCB earned around USD 34.51 million annually, crucial for maintaining cricket in the country. Only India (USD 293 M), England (USD 139 M), and Australia (USD 128 M) earned more.
The second demand involves the renewal of bilateral cricket with India. However, this is complicated by the fact that such decisions are made at a government level, not by the ICC, which can only facilitate discussions.
The final demand is for the implementation of a handshake protocol, prompted by India’s refusal to shake hands with Pakistani players during the 2025 Asia Cup after the Pahalgam terror attack. India’s stance was rooted in the broader context of cross-border tensions and public sentiment.