Ehsan Mani, the past president of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and past chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), thinks Pakistan might not get penalized even though its government said the team will skip the T20 World Cup game against India on February 15. The Pakistan government didn’t explain why it won’t play India, but many believe it’s to support Bangladesh, which was kept out of the big event. Bangladesh wanted its games moved from India, but the ICC turned down the request.
Mani, who was ICC president from 2003 to 2006, mentioned that India didn’t go to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Mani told Sportstar that Pakistan shouldn’t be penalized if it’s following government orders. He said India didn’t play its 2025 Champions Trophy games in Pakistan for the same reason, and there shouldn’t be different rules for different countries. He added that the ICC didn’t address the problem and let governments get involved, noting that the PCB chairman is also a government minister.
But, Mani’s point might not be valid when the ICC decides what to do about Pakistan’s boycott. In the 2025 Champions Trophy, Pakistan was hosting, but India didn’t want to go there. India still played all its games, including one against Pakistan, in the UAE. Now, Pakistan is refusing to play India in Sri Lanka, even though the schedule was set a while ago.
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