Pakistan's 1st Letter To ICC On India Boycott, World Body's Strong Response

The ICC has sought an explanation from Pakistan on how the force majeure clause can be invoked to justify the team's refusal to play the T20 World Cup match against India, after the PCB attempted to shift responsibility onto its government. The ICC has asked the Pakistan Cricket Board to explain how it can withdraw from a single match while continuing to play the rest of the tournament on government instructions.

A few days ago, the PCB had officially written to the ICC expressing its intention to invoke the force majeure clause and cited a government post barring the team from the February 15 clash in Colombo as the reason. However, there is now a glimmer of hope, as the PCB has approached the ICC for further deliberations, according to an ICC Director.

After receiving the ICC's formal communication, the PCB initiated additional discussions. The ICC is currently engaging with the board in a structured manner to explore possible resolutions, with the view that the interests of the game must supersede unilateral action.

So, what is force majeure?

Force majeure is a contractual provision that excuses a party from fulfilling its obligations due to extraordinary events beyond its control, such as war, natural disasters, government actions, or public emergencies.

For the clause to apply, the affected party must demonstrate that the event was unforeseeable and unavoidable, and that it took all reasonable steps to mitigate the impact. Mere inconvenience or political preference does not ordinarily satisfy this test.

ICC seeks proof of mitigation

The Pakistan government had announced that its team would boycott only the India fixture to support Bangladesh, who were excluded for refusing to play in India due to their "security concerns." Pakistan will play the remaining matches.

The ICC has sent a series of queries, asking the PCB to demonstrate what efforts it made to mitigate the situation, explore alternatives, or seek exemptions before choosing not to participate.

It is understood that the global body has also outlined the conditions under which force majeure can legitimately be invoked, the evidence required to justify withdrawal from a scheduled match, and the broader sporting, commercial, and governance consequences of such a step.

The ICC has also highlighted the damages it could potentially claim if Pakistan's invocation of the clause is found to be invalid.

In its communication, the ICC has pointed out that selective participation undermines the core premise of a global tournament and could expose the PCB to breach-of-contract claims as well as disciplinary action under ICC regulations.

PCB engaged in structured dialogue

According to ICC sources, the global body has followed the same process it used with Bangladesh, who were similarly engaged in extensive deliberations over several days.