Pakistan to Lose Two Points After Boycotting India Match in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
Pakistan is set to forfeit two crucial points in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after announcing a boycott of its group-stage match against India scheduled for 15 February.
On Sunday, Pakistan confirmed that it will participate in the T20 World Cup but will not play the match against India. The decision was taken following a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, during which key matters related to Pakistan’s participation in the tournament were discussed.
After the meeting, the Government of Pakistan officially announced that while Pakistan will take part in the World Cup, it will not compete against India.
According to government sources, the decision was influenced by what they described as the ICC’s biased stance regarding Bangladesh. Pakistan reportedly wanted to express solidarity with Bangladesh over the issue.
Under ICC regulations, boycotting a match results in the forfeiting team losing the two points allocated for that fixture, with the points awarded to the opposing team. As a result, India will receive two points from the abandoned match.
The boycott will also have a significant impact on Pakistan’s net run rate (NRR). According to ICC rule 16.10.7, if a team forfeits a match, its net run rate is calculated as if it had batted for the full 20 overs and scored zero runs. This will severely damage Pakistan’s NRR, while India’s net run rate will remain unaffected.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will begin on 7 February. Pakistan has been placed in a group alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States.
