ICC could suffer major financial losses if India doesn’t travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will have to face the brunt of the tussle between India and Pakistan. Following reports virtually confirming that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) won’t send their national team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering boycotting Team India in the ICC tournaments from 2025 to 2031. This means that the marquee India vs Pakistan match will cease to exist.

The ICC has made sure to milk the rivalry for the last decade, with the World Test Championship being the only ICC event where the two nations haven’t met. Both countries have been strategically placed in the same group in events following their 2007 ODI World Cup exits. The same happened with the Champions Trophy 2025, where India has drawn New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Pakistan in Group A.

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) plan to boycott India could mean that the rivalry, which garners a mammoth amount of money for the ICC, won’t be a cash generation anymore. For the 2024-27 cycle, the ICC has already struck a broadcast rights deal worth $3.2 billion (Rs 27007 crore) and expects to earn around $ 1 billion (Rs 8439 crore) more in revenue from different sources. 

However, if the India vs Pakistan match doesn’t happen in the Champions Trophy, ODI or T20 World Cups, the broadcast rights for the next cycle might be reduced, and so would ICC revenue. “No India vs Pakistan games in ICC events mean all broadcast and sponsorship deals would fall out,” a source told Cricket Pakistan.

Although many consider the ODI to be a dying format, around 40 crore (400 million) people tuned in for the arch-rivals match in the ODI World Cup 2023 in India alone. The match is built often more than the final, and it actually garners the same amount of viewership, if not more. 

“Pakistan’s role is crucial not just for the game but for cricket’s financial ecosystem. Pakistan draws top sponsors and viewers, which translates to revenue for the ICC and all cricketing nations.” another source told Cricket Pakistan.