By HotLie Desk | April 2025
Cricket may be called a gentleman’s game, but behind the scenes, it’s starting to feel more like a power play — and at the center of this political-pitch war is none other than the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
While fans want boundaries and bouncers, what they’re getting instead is backroom diplomacy and broadcast money battles. The most recent plot twist? The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially decided to boycott any cricket matches held in India, including the upcoming ICC Women’s Championship Series. And this isn’t a hollow threat — it’s a result of what PCB calls “blatant favoritism and financial sabotage” under the current hybrid hosting system.
🏟️ The Hybrid Mess: Cricket or Puppet Show?
Thanks to India’s refusal to play on Pakistani soil — citing diplomatic tensions — the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy was conducted under a hybrid format, where Pakistan had to host matches in neutral venues just to accommodate India’s participation.
But this political workaround didn’t just hurt Pakistan on the scoreboard — it hurt their wallets too. According to PCB insiders, Pakistan lost a massive chunk of potential revenue — from gate collections, tourism, local sponsorships, and hospitality — that could have been injected into their cricketing infrastructure.
So while India cruised through to lift the Champions Trophy under “neutral conditions,” Pakistan bore the logistical cost, lost home advantage, and was left with peanuts.
🇮🇳 The BCCI Factor: Too Big to Be Fair?
Let’s not kid ourselves — BCCI is the most powerful cricket board on Earth, with financial clout that even ICC hesitates to challenge. But should power replace fairness?
While Pakistan continues to tour India for ICC events under heavy security protocols, India hasn’t toured Pakistan for over 15 years. And yet, ICC bends backwards to keep India “comfortable,” even if it means turning a global tournament into a one-sided affair.
📢 PCB Fires Back
Fed up with the double standards, the PCB has now gone a step further:
- The Pakistan women’s cricket team will not travel to India for the upcoming ICC Women’s Championship series.
- The board has called out the financial injustice of the hybrid hosting model and has demanded transparent, neutral hosting terms for all future India vs. Pakistan matches — or none at all.
🎙️ Is This Cricket or Corporate Theatre?
From Bairstow’s stumping drama to umpiring controversies, cricket fans are used to on-field chaos. But this off-field saga is different. This is about who really controls world cricket — the ICC or the BCCI?
Because if one board can manipulate venues, conditions, and schedules — and still get home-field advantage in neutral venues — then where’s the “international” in international cricket?
đź’¬ Final Word
Cricket deserves better. Fans deserve fairness. And nations like Pakistan — who are equally passionate, talented, and committed — deserve respect, not constant compromise.
It’s time for the ICC to step out of BCCI’s shadow and bring the spirit of the game back. Before cricket becomes a franchise war masquerading as a sport.