Is a Pakistan U-turn possible?

None of us know at the time of writing if Pakistan will do another U-turn and play their match against India on February 15. What we do know is that the government of Pakistan has announced that they will not take to the field against India. The ramifications of this stretch far beyond this one World Cup game alone. What we also know is that the host broadcasters are very well entitled to file a lawsuit against Pakistan for breach of contract and the financial implications could be enough to cripple the PCB’s finances. In such a situation, the question that is doing the rounds is whether Pakistan will do a U-turn and play the game. With the PCB not having communicated anything officially to the ICC, does Pakistan still have some wiggle room left?

Back-channel negotiations and diplomatic dialogue, may I say, are very much on. Pakistan did try to reach out to multiple boards for support but did not find any takers for its actions. At the same time, some members of the senior ICC management committee are in touch with the PCB to figure out a possible solution to the issue.

What can also influence the final call is what transpires in Bangladesh on February 12. If the election results go in favour of the BNP, for example, we could indeed see a flip in the geopolitics of the region. Is all of this being done to woo Bangladesh ahead of the elections is a question that is doing the rounds, and such a possibility can never be ruled out.

For me, two things don’t add up. If Pakistan wants to boycott India, they should never have played the U-19 World Cup game against India in Zimbabwe. Also, they are due to play the Indian Women’s Rising Stars side in Thailand on February 15 and have not pulled out of that encounter either. So if you can play the U-19 game and also the women’s game, why are you selectively boycotting the men’s T20 World Cup is a question that doesn’t have a rational answer.

Second is the whole security argument. There are no security concerns in Sri Lanka and Pakistan is already there to play its games. So when you are already present in the same city where your other games are to be played, why is it that you don’t want to play India? If it is to show solidarity towards Bangladesh, the point to note is that the BCB has already accepted the decision and moved on. They have announced, after a Board of Directors meeting, that they will not escalate the matter any further and have accepted the ICC’s decision.

If Bangladesh can accept the decision and move on, what’s Pakistan’s locus standi in jumping into the issue? Are they trying to play protector for Bangladesh when Bangladesh doesn’t really need their protection? Also, aren’t they alienating the other member boards whose finances depend on this one game? Will this not impact the sport in the long run?

If the game doesn’t happen, then what can realistically happen to the PCB? Will there be a lawsuit filed by the host broadcaster and will there be financial penalties levied? Will there be other sanctions as well? How will the ICC use clause 5.7.1 which pre-empts selective boycott? How will the ICC Board react to the whole thing and vote? Finally, will Pakistan take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne and what can be a likely outcome?

Suffice it to say plenty of action is still left in the next few days and at times way more intense than what we will see on the field. What can also be said is that world cricket will no longer be the same if the game doesn’t eventually happen. A fractured ICC isn’t good for the sport and the game’s finances will also take a hit. An irresponsible act could go a long way to impacting associate member cricket and the PCB might have to pay a heavy price for it. For Mohsin Naqvi, it will not matter. He will continue to cater to his local constituency and will be lauded for his anti-India stand. A politician will always stay a politician first and a sports administrator later.