Pahalgam attack: Indian cricket boycott could reportedly lead to loss of INR 350 crore for Pakistan and Bangladesh

While the BCCI has been advised to completely boycott Pakistan following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Bangladesh could be facing India’s wrath as well in the coming days following a retired army officer’s threat against New Delhi. Here’s how an Indian boycott will affect Pakistan and Bangladesh’s cricket boards. read more

The cricket boards of Pakistan and Bangladesh face the prospect of a major financial loss if India decides to boycott them due to ongoing political tensions after the Pahalgam attack. Reuters/AP

It’s been more than a decade since India and Pakistan last met in a bilateral series, with the arch-rivals’ meetings limited to ICC events and the Asia Cup. And after the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been encouraged to completely boycott the Pakistan Cricket Board, meaning India might not be playing any form of with Pakistan including in global and continental events.

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Given how diplomatic ties between the two nations have undergone a complete breakdown in the last two weeks, the boycott could be extended to women’s and youth cricket as well.

Bangladesh, too, could be facing BCCI’s wrath in the coming days after a senior official appointed by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government issued an online threat against New Delhi in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.

The Indian government’s relations with Dhaka have nosedived ever since the Sheikh Hasina-led government was toppled in August last year following weeks of political unrest. Attacks on the Hindu minority community following the agitation further deteriorated relations between the two South Asian neighbours.

And after India responded to the killings in Pahalgam with a series of non-military measures against Islamabad, whom they have blamed for the attack, Major General ALM Fazlur Rahman (retired) stirred controversy by suggesting in a post on Facebook that Bangladesh should capture the north-eastern part of India if the Narendra Modi-led government attacked Pakistan.

How a Indian boycott will affect cricket in Pakistan and Bangladesh

Despite the Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladeshi interim government distancing itself from Fazlur Rahman’s provocative comment, India certainly is viewing Bangladesh – a nation they had shared cordial relations with before Sheikh Hasina’s resignation – with suspicion.

And with the Asia Cup set to take place later this year in the T20 format, the BCCI might end up taking action against Bangladesh in addition to Pakistan. India are scheduled to tour Bangladesh for three ODIs and as many T20Is before the Asia Cup, which might get called off due to the current political climate in the Indian subcontinent as well as potential security concerns in Bangladesh.

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It is safe to suggest both Pakistan and Bangladesh face a massive financial loss upon an Indian boycott. India after all, is a global superpower in the sport thanks to its massive growth in the last two decades, spearheaded by the unprecedented boom of the Indian Premier League.

The BCCI alone accounts for 80 per cent of the ICC’s total revenue – which incidentally is what boards such as PCB and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) primary rely on to keep their operations afloat.

According to a report on Times Now, PCB and BCB stand to lose INR 220 crore and INR 130 crore respectively if the BCCI decides against playing these two nations in the future, starting with the upcoming tour of Bangladesh and the Asia Cup.

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The Bangladesh board had earned between Rs 70-80 crore when the Indian team had visited the country in December 2022, in which they had played three ODIs and two Tests. And it would be safe to assume the BCB will lose just as much, if not more, if the Men in Blue don’t show up this August.

The report adds that the two nations might stand to lose approximately Rs 20-30 crore in shared broadcast revenue per cycle if BCCI asks the ICC to put Pakistan and Bangladesh in a separate group.

The BCCI is yet to make an official statement against either Pakistan or Bangladesh two weeks since the tragic incident in the Kashmir Valley. A decision on the tour of Bangladesh, however, is likely to be made by July before the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee unveils India’s squads.

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