Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi criticised Pakistan’s decision to boycott its group-stage match against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, saying politics should not dictate outcomes in sport. He warned that such moves could hurt bilateral cricket, ICC revenues and broadcaster confidence
Lalit Modi
Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has criticised Pakistan’s decision to boycott its group-stage fixture against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, saying the spirit of cricket is diminished when politics influences sporting participation.
Speaking to IANS, Modi said, “Cricket was created to be decided on the field, not in boardrooms or through boycotts. When politics enters sport, the game loses — but fans always remember who stood for competition.”
Pakistan’s withdrawal from the marquee clash, scheduled for February 15 in Colombo, follows directives issued at the governmental level. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is understood to be consulting stakeholders to evaluate the implications.
Modi further cautioned that the fallout could extend beyond a single fixture. “Broadcast rights of bilateral matches and future of ICC revenues will further come under a lens as broadcasters will be cautious bidding high amounts as this could snowball into future participation of teams. Only gainer in this scenario will be IPL,” he said.
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