India-Pakistan relations have taken a sharp turn for the worse following the fatal terrorist strike in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, predominantly tourists.
New Delhi has blamed Pakistan for planning the attack, terming it the worst terror attack on civilians since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008. In retaliation, New Delhi suspended the Indus Water Treaty, shut the Attari-Wagah checkpost, and stopped issuing Pakistani visas.
Pakistan, in its policy of denial, rejected any role in the attack. In spite of long-standing accusations of sheltering terror organizations, Islamabad struck back by suspending the Simla Agreement and closing Pakistani airspace to Indian planes.
Sports Community Demands Total Boycott
The outrage after the Pahalgam incident over-flowed into the sporting world as well. Some of the country’s former cricketers, including former India captain Sourav Ganguly, demanded a total boycott of Pakistan in international cricket.
This boycott, if enacted, would not only be against bilateral series but also ICC events such as the World Cup, where India and Pakistan matches garner huge interest around the world.
How a Cricket Boycott Could Impact Pakistani Cricket
An Indian boycott would be disastrous for broadcasters and sporting bodies. In the world of cricket, no match garners as much attention as an India-Pakistan clash. The rivalry between the two nations is regarded as one of the most intense across all sports.
The financial stakes underline the hype. According to a report by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Indo-Pak matches have generated approximately ₹10,000 crore (around $1.3 billion) over the past two decades. Advertising revenues further highlight the match’s value—companies paid ₹50 lakh for a 10-second ad spot during the India-Pakistan Champions Trophy match in Dubai.
Sam Balsara, chairman at media and marketing company Madison World, encapsulated the business potential by stating, “The India-Pakistan match has the potential to cut through advertiser inertia and budget constraints,” according to a report by The Economic Times.
Pakistan Cricket Board’s Dependence on ICC Revenue for Financials
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is largely dependent on money obtained through the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) revenue-sharing programme for the 2024-27 period. That was acknowledged openly by Ramiz Raja, erstwhile cricketer and former CEO of PCB, during his time in office.
The ICC is a politicised institution divided along the Asian and Western blocs and 90 per cent of its revenues come from India. It is scary,” Raja had said in October 2021 when he was just one month into his tenure as PCB chief.
In a sense India’s business houses are controlling Pakistan cricket and if the Indian PM tomorrow decides he won’t give any funding to Pakistan, this cricket board can implode,” he had warned further.
India’s Stranglehold over ICC Revenues
Under the existing ICC revenue model, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) receives $231 million, which is 38.5% of the total share. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia, both members of the cricket “Big Three,” receive slightly more than 6% each.
PCB, the sole board other than these giants to receive a substantial share, receives 5.75%—which is equivalent to $34.51 million.
Though BCCI gets the biggest share, it also pays more substantially, pegged at producing 70–80% of ICC’s total revenues. The boom in broadcast rights, abetted by India’s vast cricket-crazy fan base, has made India the economic juggernaut of international cricket.
While The Ashes (England against Australia) have their historical grandeur, on the financial side it does not even come close to an India-Pakistan game.
How PCB May Be Affected if India Boycotts
If India pulls out of matches against Pakistan, the financial implications would resonate across ICC tournaments. Broadcasters always insist India and Pakistan are kept in the same group at ICC tournaments and Asia Cups in order to gain maximum viewership and advertising revenues.
Removing India-Pakistan matches would thus reduce the ICC’s total revenue. And as ICC revenues fall, Pakistan would lose an important indirect revenue stream, further destabilizing PCB’s financial base.
Although the boycott may not directly cripple Pakistani cricket, it would inflict a serious economic blow. The pressure on PCB’s already weak financial health would mount, compelling it to seek alternative revenue models to survive.
The Pahalgam terror attack has sparked tensions beyond diplomacy and security into the sporting arena. A complete Indian boycott of Pakistan in cricket could redefine the financial landscape of global cricket, hitting hard the PCB and even the ICC itself. Whether sports and politics can be kept apart under such high-severity strife is a key question in the coming months.
