Pahalgam Attack: What India's Boycott Means For Pakistan Cricket And Its Board

In the wake of the dastardly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the Indian government has taken some significant stands in order to isolate Pakistan. The steps haven’t only come from the political standpoint but also from a sporting perspective, with the aim being to cut all possible ties with the country. While India has not been playing bilateral cricket with Pakistan since the 2012-2013 series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) not to put the two teams in the same groups in global events going forward.

Pakistan’s cricketing revenue has significant dependence on India, be it directly or indirectly. But, with the Indian government and the BCCI deciding to toughen their stance in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan is set to face a huge financial impact.

No Indo-Pak cricket in ICC events: If India and Pakistan aren’t put in the same group of ICC events like the World Cup and, Champions Trophy, the chances of the two teams facing each other reduce massively. When it comes to global cricketing events, the organisers deliberately put India and Pakistan in the same group in order to maximise revenue. But, with the BCCI asking the ICC to not do that again, the revenue is bound to take a hit.

As per the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), India vs Pakistan cricket matches have generated an estimated Rs 10,000 crore ($1.3 billion) in the last two decades. Advertisers even agree to shell out extravagant prices for 10-second ads during India vs Pakistan matches.

The PCB depends a lot on the revenue it earns from the ICC but India’s boycott could result into the apex body’s revenue taking a hit, which would directly impact Pakistan’s income too.

With Pakistan struggling to even cross group stages of ICC events in current times, entire tournament could conclude without a single Indo-Pak match being witnessed. Reduced advertising revenue is expected to have a significant impact on the earnings of PCB.

Broadcast Boycott: The broadcast of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has already been stopped in India, in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. Even the Pakistan cricket team’s forthcoming international fixtures are unlikely to be aired in India. The development, hence, will affect a major chunk of the revenue the PCB earns from Indian broadcasters.

Already in financial doldrums over their unprofessional affairs in recent years, the crisis that the PCB has been trying to mitigiate for long looks set to hit an all new low.

Even YouTube channels of a number of former Pakistan cricketers have been banned in India. The likes of Shoaib Akhtar, Basit Ali, Rashit Latif, etc. manage to generate a lot of revenue through social media due to Indian fans. But, that would no longer be possible.

In the past, even former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja had even highlighted how dependent the PCB is on India for its revenue streams.

“The ICC is a politicised body divided between the Asian and Western blocs and 90 per cent of its revenues are generated from India. It is frightening,” Raja had said in October 2021, when he was a month into his job as PCB chief.

“In a way India’s business houses are running Pakistan cricket and if tomorrow the Indian PM decides he will not allow any funding to Pakistan, this cricket board can collapse,” he added.