The Pakistan government announced that it would boycott the match against India. While playing in the remaining matches of the Twenty20 World Cup cricket tournament.
Pakistan has not given a clear reason why they will be absent from the match against India scheduled for February 15th.
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However, Pakistan’s interior minister and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi blamed India for Saturday’s attack on Balochistan, which authorities said killed at least 31 civilians, 17 security personnel and 145 militants.
Pakistan’s decision to boycott the game against India on Sunday also comes amid tensions between the neighbors over the series of events that led to Bangladesh’s suspension from the World Cup.
What happened in Balochistan?
Gunmen launched coordinated attacks on police stations in the provincial capital Quetta and other parts of Pakistan’s Balochistan province early Saturday, officials said.
These were the deadliest attacks in Balochistan province in decades, killing around 200 people, mostly militants. Pakistan has been fighting a separatist movement in Balochistan for decades, with militants targeting the military, foreigners and people from other parts of Pakistan in the mineral-rich province that borders Afghanistan and Iran.
The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack, according to AFP news agency.
The group said it had targeted military, police and civilian officials with gunfire and suicide bombings in nine districts of Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populous and poorest province.
On the same day of the attack, Naqvi told local media that he had met with Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti and accused India of being behind the attacks in Balochistan.
“These were not ordinary terrorists. India is behind these attacks. We can be sure that India planned these attacks along with these terrorists,” Naqvi said without providing any evidence.
But weren’t tensions already high over the World Cup?
yes. On January 24, the International Cricket Council (ICC) removed Bangladesh from the tournament and replaced Scotland after Dhaka refused to play matches in India, which is co-hosting the World Cup with Sri Lanka.
Amid rising tensions between India and Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Cricket Board requested that the competition be moved from India to Sri Lanka, but the request was rejected by the ICC.
Bangladesh cited security concerns, but the ICC said there was no “credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team in India.”
The month-long tournament, which starts on Saturday, will be the first time Bangladesh will miss the Men’s T20 World Cup.
Naqvi criticized the ICC for “double standards” when Bangladesh were not allowed to play in Sri Lanka. The ICC has in the past allowed India to avoid matches in Pakistan and instead host matches in a third country if Pakistan hosts the tournament. And based on an agreement involving India and Pakistan, the ICC allowed Pakistan to do the same. When India hosts a series such as the World Cup, Pakistan is allowed to play in a third country, like Sri Lanka did this time.
“There can’t be double standards. You can’t say one country (India) can do whatever it wants and another country has to do exactly the opposite,” Naqvi said. “That is why we have taken this stand and made it clear that Bangladesh has been treated unfairly against them. They should be in the World Cup. They are a major stakeholder in cricket.”
Pakistan will play all its matches in Sri Lanka rather than India amid rising tensions between the South Asian neighbors.
In April, an attack on tourists occurred in Indian-administered Kashmir, which India blamed on Pakistan, but in May, India and Pakistan engaged in a fierce dogfight. They targeted each other’s military bases using drones and missiles. A ceasefire was finally brokered on May 10.
Skepticism toward India has grown in Bangladesh since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in massive anti-government protests and fled to India.
On January 3, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) excluded fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, Bangladesh’s only cricketer to participate in the tournament, from the Indian Premier League.
The BCCI did not give a reason for the decision, citing only “all evolving circumstances”.
What impact will this have on the World Cup?
The match between India and Pakistan was expected to be the most-watched match of the entire tournament. Losing that would likely reduce viewership for that slot by tens of millions of viewers.
The 2021 T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan attracted a record 167 million viewers, making it the most-watched T20 international match in history, according to the tournament’s official broadcaster Star India.
The India vs Pakistan match has high viewership, making it the most valuable advertising slot of the World Cup. If games are cancelled, broadcasters lose revenue.
Similarly, Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, which was scheduled to host the match, lost a significant match-day revenue opportunity from ticket sales.
What does it mean for Pakistan’s World Cup chances?
The Pakistan team will lose two points in the group stage due to the boycott, while India will get two points without playing.
Each win will award two points in this World Cup, giving Pakistan less room for error and they will have to win more in their remaining matches to ensure their chances of advancing.
What’s next?
Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket since 2012 and have only faced each other in multilateral events.
Under an agreement signed last year, India and Pakistan agreed not to travel to each other’s country if either side hosts an ICC event, and instead play at neutral venues.
Pakistan’s boycott of the match against India at a neutral venue could set a new precedent for India to take similar action in future tournaments.
