The Bangladesh Cricket Board expressed their disappointment with Pakistan’s decision to boycott their group-stage match against India which is scheduled for February 15.
Published: February 5, 2026 12:58 PM IST
T20 World Cup 2026: The Men in Green boycotting their group-stage T20 World Cup match against India on February 15 has put global cricket in a tense position.
Beyond politics, history, and rivalry, an India vs Pakistan clash is the biggest revenue generator in the sport. The T20 match between the two sides is estimated to be worth around Rs 4,500 crore, factoring in broadcast rights, high-value ads, sponsorships, ticket sales, and related commercial activity such as legal betting.
The benefits are not limited to India and Pakistan alone. Since the two teams face each other only in ICC and continental tournaments, the ICC takes a major share of the revenue and later distributes its profits among member boards.
BCB expressed their disappointment with Pakistan’s decision
Interestingly, a section of the Bangladesh Cricket Board expressed their disappointment with Pakistan’s decision to boycott the match against India. This comes even as there is near-unanimous belief that Pakistan took the step in solidarity after Bangladesh were dropped from the T20 World Cup.
Earlier, Bangladesh had requested the ICC to move their matches out of India citing “security concerns”. However, the ICC declined their request and named Scotland at their replacement in the upcoming tournament.
BCB opener up on the India -Pakistan boycott row
A senior BCB director, opened up about the boycott while speaking to Bangladeshi publication Prothom Alo and said, “If the India-Pakistan match does not take place, the entire cricketing world will face financial losses. Even our dividend will decrease. We did not want such losses.”
The official further said “Pakistan wanted to send a strong message to Indian cricket. They wanted to challenge India’s dominance. From that perspective, the decision may make sense.”
BCB official expressed concern over the drop in ICC revenue
Another official closely linked to the events that led to Bangladesh’s exclusion, as reported by the same publication, expressed concern over the drop in ICC revenue following the decision.
“This will directly affect the ICC’s central revenue pool. Like everyone else, we are also stakeholders in that fund. Take Kenya or Uganda, for example. They would be satisfied with USD 100,000-200,000. But given our infrastructure, how will we survive if ICC revenues decline?” the BCB director said.
Pakistan T20 World Cup warm-match was abondoned
However, Salman Ali Agha-led Pakistan who were scheduled play their only World Cup warm-up match against Ireland was abandoned due to rain. They will now face Netherland in their World Cup 2026 opener which is set for for February 15 in Colombo.
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