What Next In Pakistan-india Controversy As Icc Confirm Forfeit Stance?

The men's T20 World Cup successful India and Sri Lanka starts connected Saturday against a backdrop of governmental hostility and uncertainty.

Bangladesh person already boycotted nan tourney while Pakistan person said they will not play their scheduled lucifer against India.

The business became marginally much clear connected Thursday pinch nan confirmation of nan playing conditions by nan International Cricket Council, nan tourney organisers.

The conditions state, arsenic expected, Pakistan will forfeit nan points from nan lucifer if they garbage to play, pinch India taking nan maximum available.

There remains plentifulness of further uncertainty astir imaginable further punishments and nan wider impacts, however.

Bangladesh, who person now been replaced successful Group C by Scotland, had asked for their games to beryllium switched from India, citing information concerns amid increasing tensions betwixt nan countries.

Relations betwixt nan South Asian neighbours person soured since erstwhile Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India successful 2024, pursuing deadly protests.

India has not agreed to nonstop her backmost contempt respective requests, and convulsive protests collapsed retired aft Sharif Osman Hadi - a salient student leader successful Bangladesh - was changeable dead.

India itself has raised concerns complete unit targeting members of nan number Hindu organization successful Bangladesh.

In December, a Hindu man was accused of blasphemy and beaten to death by a mob successful an incident that resulted successful protests by Hindu nationalist groups successful India.

Against that governmental backdrop, Indian Premier League (IPL) broadside Kolkata Knight Riders released Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman successful January aft being instructed to do truthful by nan Board of Control for Cricket successful India.

In response, Bangladeshi authorities banned broadcasts of nan IPL successful nan country.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board past requested that their World Cup fixtures beryllium played successful Sri Lanka.

The ICC - nan sport's governing assemblage - rejected that request, saying location was an "absence of immoderate reliable information threat" and gave nan BCB a last 24 hours successful which to state their participation.

When that deadline passed, Scotland were invited to nan tournament.

The ICC said it was keen not to found "precedents that could undermine nan neutrality and fairness of ICC events".

Pakistan are boycotting their lucifer against India, which was scheduled to return spot successful Colombo, Sri Lanka, connected 15 February.

In a statement, nan Pakistan authorities said it granted "approval" to nan team's information successful nan tourney but they "shall not return to nan field" for nan lucifer against India.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) president Mohsin Naqvi antecedently said nan squad could propulsion retired wholly aft Bangladesh were removed from nan tournament.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said connected Thursday, external nan determination was made to "support" Bangladesh.

Last twelvemonth India refused to recreation to Pakistan to play successful nan Champions Trophy and had their matches moved to nan United Arab Emirates.

It resulted successful India and Pakistan signing an statement stating nan 2 countries would play astatine neutral venues whenever 1 of them hosts an ICC event.

Pakistan and India person not faced each different extracurricular men's awesome tournaments since 2013, and India person not played successful Pakistan since 2008.

Pakistan did not big immoderate touring nations betwixt 2009 and 2019 pursuing nan Lahore attack connected Sri Lanka's squad bus, which killed six policemen and 2 civilians.

Pakistani players person besides been banned from nan IPL since 2009 pursuing nan Mumbai attacks that near 174 group - including 9 gunmen - dead.

The neighbours person fought a number of wars and had respective subject stand-offs since nan partition of India successful 1947, erstwhile nan nation was divided into India and nan caller authorities of Pakistan. It created an upsurge of violence, successful which astir 15 cardinal group were displaced and an estimated 1 cardinal died.

Recent escalations were sparked aft nan neighbours engaged successful a four-day subject conflict successful April 2025 pursuing a deadly militant onslaught connected visitors successful India-administered Kashmir.

The ICC said Pakistan's stance was "difficult to reconcile" and called connected nan country's cricket chiefs to research a "mutually acceptable resolution".

The governing assemblage said that "selective information undermines nan tone and sanctity of nan competitions".

It said it "respects nan roles of governments successful matters of nationalist policy" but continued: "This determination is not successful nan liking of nan world crippled aliases nan use of fans worldwide, including millions successful Pakistan."

It added it hoped nan PCB would "consider nan important and semipermanent implications for cricket successful its ain country".

Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi is among those who person accused nan ICC of mishandling nan situation.

In a station connected X, he said: "It's regrettable that Pakistan won't play India, but I guidelines down my government's decision.

"This is nan infinitesimal for nan ICC to lead and beryllium done decisions, not statements, that it is impartial, independent and adjacent to each member."

Matches betwixt Pakistan and India tin tie immense TV audiences.

Reportedly, much than 600 cardinal group watched past year's Champions Trophy fixture connected Indian streaming level JioHotstar.

The 2026 tourney playing conditions seen by BBC Sport state: "A lucifer shall beryllium mislaid by a broadside which either concedes conclusion aliases successful nan sentiment of nan lucifer referee refuses to play".

These conditions are efficaciously a transcript of those from erstwhile caller tournaments.

The conditions besides adhd "any refusal to play prescribed nether this clause" whitethorn consequence successful "disciplinary action being taken against nan skipper and squad responsible nether nan ICC codification of conduct".

That leaves nan doorway unfastened for Pakistan to beryllium fixed further punishments, though nan clause was besides coming for nan 2024 T20 World Cup truthful is not circumstantial to this case.

Pakistan look nan Netherlands, USA and Namibia successful their different group-stage games, and it is unclear what could hap if they were to look India successful nan final.

Captain Salman Agha said connected Thursday: "If we person to play them [India] successful nan semi-final aliases nan final, we will spell backmost to them [the government] and enactment connected their advice."

Teams person pulled retired of tourney fixtures before, pinch Australia and nan West Indies some deciding not to recreation to Colombo successful nan 1996 World Cup that was co-hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

England besides decided not to play their 2003 World Cup lucifer against Zimbabwe successful Harare, citing information concerns and societal unrest successful nan country.

None of those nations received a consequent good aliases reward from nan ICC, though each forfeited nan matches.

Both Pakistan and Bangladesh could person different sanctions arsenic nan ICC has a precedent for punishing governments who interfere successful nan game.

Under article 2.4 of nan ICC constitution, it outlines boards must negociate their affairs "autonomously and guarantee that location is nary authorities (or different nationalist aliases quasi-public body) interference successful its governance, regularisation and/or management of cricket".

In 2019, Zimbabwe were suspended for 3 months aft nan authorities replaced nan cricket board, starring to a frost connected backing and removal from World Cup qualifiers.

Four years later, Sri Lanka besides mislaid nan correct to big nan Under-19 World Cup aft its authorities dismissed nan nationalist committee pursuing mediocre performances.

Both nations later had their ICC rank restored.

There are besides questions complete really a Pakistan forfeiture and nan consequence of a repetition would effect early TV authorities deals, fixed their fixture against India is highly lucrative.

This article is nan latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.