The International Cricket Council (ICC) has sought an explanation from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) 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 Pakistan tried to wriggle out of the situation by putting the onus on its government.
The provision excuses a party from fulfilling obligations due to extraordinary events beyond its control such as war, natural disasters, government actions or public emergencies. However, the affected party must demonstrate the event was unforeseeable and unavoidable. Mere inconvenience or political preference doesn’t ordinarily satisfy the test.
There is a glimmer of hope, however, for Pakistan as the PCB has approached the ICC for deliberations, as per an ICC director, who feels the marquee clash slated on February 15 will eventually take place.
“The talks have started,” he said. The ICC has asked the PCB to justify pulling out of one match while playing the remaining tournament on government instructions.
The PCB had earlier written to the ICC about wanting to invoke the “force majeure” clause and cited the government’s tweet, banning the team from the February 15 clash in Colombo, as the reason.
Having received the world body’s formal communication, the PCB initiated further discussions.
The ICC is currently engaging with the board in a structured manner to explore possible resolutions, with a view that interest of the game must supersede unilateral action.
The Pakistan government had earlier announced that its team would boycott only the India fixture to support Bangladesh, who were shown the door for refusing to play in India due to their “security concerns”. They will play the remaining matches.
The ICC has sent across a series of queries, asking the PCB to demonstrate what efforts it made to mitigate the situation, explore alternatives or seek exemptions before opting for non-participation.
Pak asked to justify India match pullout
