BCCI may have had wish for bilateral cricket but PCB had the need: ICC Dispute Resolution Panel

The ICC's Dispute Resolution Committee, which dismissed PCB's compensation claim against the BCCI, has stated it was Pakistan that needed bilateral cricket between the two countries while India 'may have had the wish'.

In its 26-page judgement, the ICC panel explained why it rejected PCB's Rs 447 crore compensation claim against the BCCI for not playing six bilateral series between 2015 to 2023.

"In terms of any Indian tour to Pakistan, it was the PCB which was the suppliant. It was the host country which benefitted from the revenues in respect of such as tour. Bankrupts cannot be choosers, and while the PCB was certainly not bankrupt, at the very least sacrifice of such a tour would, as Mr (Subhan) Ahmad (PCB COO) put it, 'definitely make a dent in our financial reserves'," said the panel.

"The prospect of bilateral tours with India as tourist was, in the PCB's own words, 'the most valuable prize in world cricket' but ex hypothesi for other ICC Members, not the BCCI itself.

"By contrast there was no necessity for the BCCI, the dominant force in world cricket in the modern era, to play away against Pakistan. The BCCI may have had the wish, but it was the PCB which had the need."
"Although it is common ground that, as Professor Shetty put it, 'India-Pakistan matches are the best possible games that can happen and neither of these two boards would not like to have that'."
"In August 2015 there was a further incident in Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir. Such attacks were said to have been perpetrated by Pakistan-based terrorist organisations. The PCB was well aware of the potential impact of these circumstances upon the proposed tours."
"The PCB Chairman's letter to the Pakistan Prime Minister dated 20 August 2015 stated: 'The Indian government has seemingly withheld its permission for India to play Pakistan stating that the cricket series would be inappropriate in the current atmosphere of tension at the borders, Lakhvi's release, Gurdaspur incidents. Accordingly, there is a possibility that India would not agree to honour its commitment to play its series with Pakistan'."