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Pakistan calls for new global cricket body amid ICC row and India match boycott

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A fresh storm has erupted in world cricket after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif called for the creation of a new global cricket governing body, accusing the International Cricket Council of being influenced by Indian political interests. The remarks come amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7.

The controversy has deepened following Pakistan’s decision to boycott its group-stage match against India on February 15, a move that has placed the ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board on a direct collision course.

Earlier this week, Pakistan’s government confirmed that it had cleared the national men’s team to participate in the T20 World Cup 2026. However, Islamabad simultaneously announced that the team would not play its scheduled fixture against India, without offering an official reason.

The ICC responded sharply, stating that Pakistan’s stance was “not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan.” Despite the uncertainty, Pakistan’s squad has already arrived in Colombo to prepare for the tournament.

Reacting to the unfolding dispute, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif took to the social media platform X, making an extraordinary call for structural change in world cricket. “A new international organisation of cricket is needed to keep the spirit of the gentleman’s game alive. ICC has become hostage to Indian political interests in South Asia.”

His comments mark one of the strongest political attacks on the ICC in recent years and reflect Pakistan’s growing frustration with the global governing body.

Pakistan’s dissatisfaction with the ICC predates the India match boycott. The PCB had recently objected to the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the T20 World Cup. Bangladesh had reportedly requested that its matches be shifted to venues outside India due to security concerns amid rising political tensions between Delhi and Dhaka. The ICC’s handling of the situation angered Pakistan, which viewed the decision as further evidence of selective accommodation within the sport’s power structure.

At the heart of Pakistan’s argument is India’s overwhelming commercial dominance in cricket. India generates the largest share of the sport’s global revenue, giving it enormous influence within the ICC. A significant portion of that income comes from the Indian Premier League, the world’s most lucrative T20 competition, run by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Between 2024 and 2027, the IPL is projected to generate $1.15 billion, accounting for nearly 39% of the ICC’s annual revenue, according to international media reports.

Critics argue that this financial power translates into disproportionate decision-making influence at the ICC.

Pakistan’s call for a new governing body, combined with the India match boycott, represents a direct challenge to the ICC’s authority. While the creation of a rival global cricket organisation remains highly unlikely in practical terms, the episode exposes deep fractures in the sport’s governance, driven by politics, power, and money.

As the T20 World Cup 2026 approaches, the ICC now faces a delicate balancing act, enforcing its rules while preventing a full-blown institutional crisis that could reshape how international cricket is governed in the years to come.

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Link: https://zeenews.india.com/cricket/p...-icc-row-and-india-match-boycott-3013538.html​
 
light said:
I liked it better when it was controlled by ECB and Australia. Atleast petty politics like this was rare. Now it's just in our face everytime there is a cricket match, be it leagues or international cricket
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Yes. like Zimbabwe quoting WC2009 becos they couldn’t get UK visa.
 
Theoretically, this is possible if all the major test nations get together in a secret nuclear bunker and formulate plans for a new governing body and exclude BCCI. The latter would be powerless. I'm guessing the BCCI's response would be - a year long IPL and inviting all the best players in the word with multilmillion dollar contracts. It would be a rehash of the Kerry Packer saga in the late 1970s.

But Indians love international cricket too much, so it will never come to this.
 
Good old Eng and Aus rule. Both alone have veto power and others dont have.so other teams have to beg for everything .what a wonderful place to live and let the game flourish in such harmony .
 
Pakistan can make a rival governing board with Bangladesh, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait
 
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As long as BCCI(sanghis) are not in control I m fine with it.
Give power to England and Australia. They should control cricket.
Cricket was originated in England. They should have more power not the garbage BCCI with its petty politics and Islamophobia.
 
Fast bowler6929 said:
As long as BCCI(sanghis) are not in control I m fine with it.
Give power to England and Australia. They should control cricket.
Cricket was originated in England. They should have more power not the garbage BCCI with its petty politics and Islamophobia.
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Power isn't given out in charity. It is earned. CA and ECB earned their power during their days before BCCI snatched it away from them.​
 
Khawaja Asif is a joker. I'm not sure many take him seriously in Pakistan but on this he is correct. Cricket needs an independent governing body. It won't happen but the point isn't that it will happen, the point is that it is needed.
 
Who is the wrong here?

Uncle Khawaja who tweets whatever he is thinking, and wants the sport of cricket to improve, Or Indians who spend all day justifying the actions of nepo-baby Jay Shah?

Answer is very obvious to any neutral and level headed person.

Who could watch the promo video for the WTC championship, where rather than celebrating the efforts of the finalists, it was a celebration of Jay Shah, and not come to the conclusion that the ICC is fundamentally broken?
 
RexRex said:
Theoretically, this is possible if all the major test nations get together in a secret nuclear bunker and formulate plans for a new governing body and exclude BCCI. The latter would be powerless. I'm guessing the BCCI's response would be - a year long IPL and inviting all the best players in the word with multilmillion dollar contracts. It would be a rehash of the Kerry Packer saga in the late 1970s.

But Indians love international cricket too much, so it will never come to this.
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International cricket is still a big draw in India. That is for matches involving India. I am sure people in Ind. do not care much about international cricket not involving India. Even Ashes probably did not draw a big audience.

IPL is the top draw. I am sure IPL gets more eyeballs than India internationals. I am basing this on where advertising $$$$ are being spent. IPL broadcast deal is worth more than BCCI international deal. That tells us a lot.
 
Fast bowler6929 said:
As long as BCCI(sanghis) are not in control I m fine with it.
Give power to England and Australia. They should control cricket.
Cricket was originated in England. They should have more power not the garbage BCCI with its petty politics and Islamophobia.
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Not sure how you give power to ECB. But no one is stopping them from taking power back. Something that was taken from them by the BCCI.

There is nothing to give. It is there to be taken.

In order to take that power back, a lot work needs to be put in. Are the ECB or CA up for it? Or are they just satisfied with sitting around and waiting for BCCI $$$ to fall in their laps?

Currently the later is true.
 
Babeikh said:
Khawaja Asif is a joker. I'm not sure many take him seriously in Pakistan but on this he is correct. Cricket needs an independent governing body. It won't happen but the point isn't that it will happen, the point is that it is needed.
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Speaches, X posts do not matter. Talk means nothing. Action is what matters.

If there is no action, there is no change.
 
I think Indians are finding it really hard to digest the fact that Cricket as we know it will never be the same now with Pakistan FINALLY going ahead with what they always wanted them to do.

It is what it is unfortunately.
 
I wouldn't take anything that Khawaja Asif takes too seriously. He's the Defense Minister which is just about the most useless ministerial position in the country. Bro turned up to the opening of a Pizza Hut outlet in Sialkot a few weeks ago only for the actual Pizza Hut to put out a statement later that it was a fake Pizza Hut branch not associated with the Pizza Hut brand. And that's after you ignore the question of wth was the Defense Minister of a country doing at the inauguration of a Pizza Hut outlet? Well that gives you an idea of how important his job is.
 
Rana said:
Prefer this than having to play India for no apparent reason every year for one game (y)
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I get it, I'd hate to face India as well if I were a Pak fan, har saal ek naya zakhm, ek naya humiliation. I say go for it, surely Pak will be a top 3 ranked team in this new world order.
 
U$ofA said:
IPL is the top draw. I am sure IPL gets more eyeballs than India internationals. I am basing this on where advertising $$$$ are being spent. IPL broadcast deal is worth more than BCCI international deal. That tells us a lot.
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Which would Ind fans pick if they could only choose one to watch in a year ?
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I wouldn't take anything that Khawaja Asif takes too seriously. He's the Defense Minister which is just about the most useless ministerial position in the country. Bro turned up to the opening of a Pizza Hut outlet in Sialkot a few weeks ago only for the actual Pizza Hut to put out a statement later that it was a fake Pizza Hut branch not associated with the Pizza Hut brand. And that's after you ignore the question of wth was the Defense Minister of a country doing at the inauguration of a Pizza Hut outlet? Well that gives you an idea of how important his job is.
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That's fair enough but I'm still struggling to understand Pakistan's long term goal here.

The most common reasoning I've seen is that they want to show the world how India's getting preferential treatment. I don't think that's hidden from anyone though. There have been statements from former cricketers and numerous articles even on India-friendly sites like cricinfo on how India is always treated better.

How does Pakistan plan to wake up the conscience of all the cricket playing nations and force them to discipline India when they're all dependent on the Indian market for their money?

Maybe the hope is that gradually with the disappearance of this critical game, the Indian public will gradually lose interest in international cricket, the money from the Indian market will reduce and allow international cricket to be reorganised with less funds for everyone involved but fairer?
 
Red-Indian said:
That's fair enough but I'm still struggling to understand Pakistan's long term goal here.

The most common reasoning I've seen is that they want to show the world how India's getting preferential treatment. I don't think that's hidden from anyone though. There have been statements from former cricketers and numerous articles even on India-friendly sites like cricinfo on how India is always treated better.

How does Pakistan plan to wake up the conscience of all the cricket playing nations and force them to discipline India when they're all dependent on the Indian market for their money?

Maybe the hope is that gradually with the disappearance of this critical game, the Indian public will gradually lose interest in international cricket, the money from the Indian market will reduce and allow international cricket to be reorganised with less funds for everyone involved but fairer?
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There’s no long-term goal here. Even setting aside India’s recent actions, increasingly shaped by the BJP’s use of cricket as a tool of statecraft, the simple reality that the rest of the world doesn't give a damn about Pakistan and India's petty squabbles.

That’s been true in global affairs for decades, and it’s no different in cricket today. Western countries in particular struggle to understand why two nations with so much in common don’t focus on trade, people-to-people ties, and economic cooperation instead of perpetual hostility.

It's the same in international cricket. Nobody really cares, beyond it affecting the bottom-line or the money they will make as a result of this game. And because, as you mentioned, the sport is structurally dependent on the Indian market, none of these boards (even Sri Lanka which is a friendly board to Pakistan) will ever do anything to alienate India. So Pakistan trying to get support for it's actions - that it hasn't even fully explained, is going to go nowhere.
 
Red-Indian said:
How does Pakistan plan to wake up the conscience of all the cricket playing nations and force them to discipline India when they're all dependent on the Indian market for their money?
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Sadly, their decision making is very impulsive, untethered from reality and shaped by fake pride. The concepts of forward thinking, long term planning and realistic expectations .. these seem to be absent in their vocabularies !
 
RexRex said:
Sadly, their decision making is very impulsive, untethered from reality and shaped by fake pride. The concepts of forward thinking, long term planning and realistic expectations .. these seem to be absent in their vocabularies !
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Sadly, their decision is none of India’s business. (y)
 
light said:
Yes they did, but not to the extent we see today ...
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Thats subjective.

From history, Indians were not allowed to play with white people for the longest time.

The history of seggregation in south africa by whites and the impact on cricket is also well known.

Again, pain and pride can be influenced by marketing and manipulation.

Subjective, but politics by the one holding power is human nature
 
RahulBose said:
Thats subjective.

From history, Indians were not allowed to play with white people for the longest time.

The history of seggregation in south africa by whites and the impact on cricket is also well known.

Again, pain and pride can be influenced by marketing and manipulation.

Subjective, but politics by the one holding power is human nature
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You're not wrong but did ICC exist when england was going around colonizing countries?
 
RahulBose said:
Thats subjective.

From history, Indians were not allowed to play with white people for the longest time.

The history of seggregation in south africa by whites and the impact on cricket is also well known.

Again, pain and pride can be influenced by marketing and manipulation.

Subjective, but politics by the one holding power is human nature
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It’s important to move forward. ICC and cricket matters are regressing with more open discrimination in 21st century
 
Fast bowler6929 said:
As long as BCCI(HINDUS) are not in control I m fine with it.
Give power to England and Australia. They should control cricket.
Cricket was originated in England. They should have more power not the garbage BCCI with its petty politics and Islamophobia.
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Corrected. Dont hide behind the word Sanghi, say it how it is.
 
light said:
I liked it better when it was controlled by ECB and Australia. Atleast petty politics like this was rare. Now it's just in our face everytime there is a cricket match, be it leagues or international cricket
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You liked racism, good for u
 
cricketjoshila said:
You liked racism, good for u
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Amazing interpretation out of thin air. Good job

I see many of our peers calling random dudes over here terrorist lovers or kanglus or wtv, don't see you pointing them out for being racist? But the post that had no racist meaning towards it, gets called out for racism. (y)
 
ICC is in talks with PCB to find a resolution on the boycott. I'm sure there will be pressure from other boards for both PCB & BCCI to resolve this and safeguard the current ecosystem. I think at the end of the day, the boycott will end and PCB may end up bargaining for some future favour to end it. Maybe they'll be promised a ICC event post 2031 or something.

Either way, the fragile current ecosystem can't last much longer the way it is setup and there are much needed changes that need to happen and I think the boards need to come together to find a long lasting situation. It shouldn't be setup in a way where rich boards have so much power and control while smaller boards are sidelined nor should Pak-Ind match be so important that the entire ecosystem significantly suffers because of it. The ICC needs to changed to a governing body instead of basically an event planning company it currently is and the goal should be to ensure fair rules & equality for all.
 
Nasty Naz said:
ICC is in talks with PCB to find a resolution on the boycott. I'm sure there will be pressure from other boards for both PCB & BCCI to resolve this and safeguard the current ecosystem. I think at the end of the day, the boycott will end and PCB may end up bargaining for some future favour to end it. Maybe they'll be promised a ICC event post 2031 or something.

Either way, the fragile current ecosystem can't last much longer the way it is setup and there are much needed changes that need to happen and I think the boards need to come together to find a long lasting situation. It shouldn't be setup in a way where rich boards have so much power and control while smaller boards are sidelined nor should Pak-Ind match be so important that the entire ecosystem significantly suffers because of it. The ICC needs to changed to a governing body instead of basically an event planning company it currently is and the goal should be to ensure fair rules & equality for all.
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Probably also a good idea to have people on board with no political alliance from any country as the head of ICC
 
light said:
Probably also a good idea to have people on board with no political alliance from any country as the head of ICC
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Yep, and this should go without saying. The way Jay Shah came into his position is unlike anything we would see if any professional run sports. He was in charge of BCCI one day and then comes to lead ICC the following all in amidst of Pak/Ind CT turmoil at the time. No cool down affect, no transition of power to ensure no bias... like who runs pro sports like this?

If needed, hire some third party firm to do an audit of ICC and implement safeguards/internal controls as per their recommendations to prevent nonsense like this. IMO, the ICC head position should be in some sort of blind democratic vote from all the members and yes, it shouldn't be anyone with any sort of political allegiance.
 
light said:
Amazing interpretation out of thin air. Good job

I see many of our peers calling random dudes over here terrorist lovers or kanglus or wtv, don't see you pointing them out for being racist? But the post that had no racist meaning towards it, gets called out for racism. (y)
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You have any idea how cricket was run in 80s and 90s?
 
light said:
I liked it better when it was controlled by ECB and Australia. Atleast petty politics like this was rare. Now it's just in our face everytime there is a cricket match, be it leagues or international cricket
Click to expand...
I hate racism in general but if you ask me to chose between getting treated contemptuously and dare I say it, racistly, like the Brits and Aussies used to versus us treating some other nationalities like the poor Bangladeshis racistly, I suppose I would reluctantly choose to have the boot on our foot.

Yes the petty politics today is a lot more in your face and less subtle than it used to be back in those days but I suppose it could be worse and we could be on the receiving side.
 
Sachin fan said:
A whole new global order consisting of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Will change not just cricket but the entire world.
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I know a new cricketing body is unlikely to change anything but at least it will divide opinion and cricket boards.ICC will lose it’s credibility.Who knows many countries may join Pakistan and Bangladesh.
 
cricketjoshila said:
What tough questions?


You ran away after claiming Middle East is hosting Olympics,
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I still responded back to you, to which you never responded back to after you mentioned that. Go back and look at your notification. Anyways, this argument between us has nothing to do with the cricket discussion. Let's spare the others from our personal discussion.
 
Red-Indian said:
I hate racism in general but if you ask me to chose between getting treated contemptuously and dare I say it, racistly, like the Brits and Aussies used to versus us treating some other nationalities like the poor Bangladeshis racistly, I suppose I would reluctantly choose to have the boot on our foot.

Yes the petty politics today is a lot more in your face and less subtle than it used to be back in those days but I suppose it could be worse and we could be on the receiving side.
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Unfortunately, both are equally racist. Alot of people wants to pretend that desi/colored people are not racist. Colored people are some of the worst racist offenders and plays the victim card while they get away with racism these days cause of white guilt. Like you said, look at how some of our peers talks about folks from BD or Pakistan (vise-versa).

So yes, racism existed from everyone all the time when they (Eng/aus) were in power. However petty politics was rare. The politics we see these days are on a different level of stupidity also
 
How about reforming the existing ICC and freeing it from political interference?

This would require the establishment of strong, legally binding safeguards that ensure operational, financial, and leadership independence from government or partisan control.
 
AZulfi said:
How about reforming the existing ICC and freeing it from political interference?

This would require the establishment of strong, legally binding safeguards that ensure operational, financial, and leadership independence from government or partisan control.
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Well, the calls for an alternative to ICC will be lead by the head of PCB. Who is a politician and part of Pak. politics.

If reform of ICC is what has to be done, that will also have to be lead by the PCB.

Now, how does this free things from political interference?
 
Mesozoic said:
Yes..

And this "global body" will have Pakistan and Bangladesh. 🤣

Do Bhai ..dono....
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Both combined is a 450million cricket market. has a big worth Sir. Without playing Pakistan you dont make icc event revenues as well, Pakistan is a big player in cricket due to its huge population. And your sena buddies dont really add much heck cricket isnt even 2nd or 3rd sport in most of the senas 😂
 
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