PCB and ICC in formal dialogue over India-Pakistan match

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have finally opened formal discussions over Pakistan’s marquee Men’s T20 World Cup clash against India.

The fate of the match remains uncertain after the Government of Pakistan recently announced on social media that the men’s team has been directed not to take the field against India in Colombo on February 15.

Also Read: Unfriendly neighbourhood | On the ICC Twenty20 World Cup

The Hindu understands that the PCB has formally conveyed its inability to play the fixture, invoking the force majeure clause of the Members Participation Agreement (MPA), which covers unforeseen circumstances, including government directives. The onus is now on the ICC to determine whether it can persuade the PCB that forfeiting a match would be in violation of the MPA, which mandates that every member must play all scheduled matches in an ICC tournament.

Sanjog Gupta, the ICC’s chief executive, was present in Colombo on Saturday as Pakistan began its T20 World Cup campaign with a laboured win against the Netherlands. In the immediate aftermath of the Pakistan government’s social media post, the ICC had issued a statement warning that “selective participation” undermines “the spirit and sanctity” of global sporting events. The governing body had also urged the PCB to consider the “long-term implications” of such a decision.

Despite the earlier public posturing, the commencement of formal dialogue between the PCB and the ICC leaves a window open for the Pakistan authorities to reconsider their stance, with time still available for a resolution before the high-profile fixture.

What is Force Majeure?

Force majeure is a contractual provision that excuses a party from fulfilling its obligations due to extraordinary events beyond its control, such as war, natural disasters, government actions or public emergencies.

Also Read | T20 World Cup: Heart rates go up and down, but knew we could take down whatever runs in one over, says Faheem

For the clause to apply, the affected party must demonstrate that the event was unforeseeable, unavoidable and that it took all reasonable steps to mitigate the impact. Mere inconvenience or political preference does not ordinarily satisfy the test.

PCB engaged in structured dialogue

According to sources in the ICC, the global body has followed the same process that it followed with Bangladesh, which was also engaged for extensive deliberations for several days.

(with inputs from PTI)