Champions Trophy 2025: PCB is considering a boycott of ICC events hosted in India if the BCCI continues to refuse to send its team to Pakistan for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
As per reports, the Pakistani government is weighing restrictions on participation against India, stating that sports and politics must remain separate for international competition to thrive. A full boycott from Pakistan could impact numerous ICC tournaments slated for India from 2024 to 2031, disrupting the marquee India-Pakistan matches that are pivotal for the ICC’s viewership and revenue.
Pakistan’s absence in these tournaments could lead to steep declines in sponsorships and broadcast revenue, endangering the ICC’s financial projections.
No future IND vs PAK matches?
A full boycott of matches against India, as advised by the Pakistani government, could affect multiple ICC tournaments scheduled in India between 2024 and 2031.
Pakistan’s absence could weaken viewership and ICC’s projected revenue from broadcasters and sponsors.
The ICC, which secured $3.2 billion from broadcast rights for the 2024-2027 cycle and anticipates $1 billion more in other revenue, relies heavily on marquee events featuring Pakistan and India, which consistently attract record viewership and engagement.
“No India vs Pakistan games in ICC events mean all broadcast and sponsorship deals would fall out,” said a source who said that a match in ICC event is important for global cricket.
In recent years, the ICC has made sure that India play Pakistan at least once in each of global cricketing events, ensuring a major chunk of revenue from this game.
The India-Pakistan match at the 2023 World Cup drew unprecedented interest, with 173 million viewers on Indian TV and 225 million digital viewers.
The 2021 T20 World Cup match between the two sides reached 167 million viewers and drove 15.9 billion minutes of engagement in India alone, highlighting Pakistan’s role in generating cricket viewership and revenue figures.