PCB seeks to invoke ‘force majeure’, ICC asks board to justify India match pull-out

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has sought a detailed justification from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after it wrote to the global body seeking to invoke the ‘force majeure’ clause to excuse its refusal to play the T20 World Cup match against India.

Sources said the ICC has asked the PCB to explain how the clause can be applied selectively to one fixture while the team continues to participate in the rest of the tournament. The board has also been asked to outline the steps taken to mitigate the situation before opting out of the match scheduled for February 15 in Colombo.

The PCB had cited a Pakistan government directive, conveyed through a public communication, as the reason for not playing the India fixture. Following the ICC’s formal response, the PCB has initiated discussions with the world body, which is now engaging the board through a structured consultation process to explore possible resolutions.

Force majeure is a contractual provision that allows a party to be excused from fulfilling its obligations due to extraordinary events beyond its control, such as war, natural disasters, government actions or public emergencies. To successfully invoke the clause, the affected party must demonstrate that the event was unforeseeable, unavoidable, and that all reasonable efforts were made to mitigate its impact.

According to sources, the ICC has underlined that the clause does not ordinarily apply in cases of selective non-participation and requires documentary evidence of mitigation, including efforts to seek exemptions or alternative arrangements.

The ICC has conveyed that if the invocation of force majeure is found to be invalid, it could expose the PCB to breach-of-contract claims, potential financial damages, and disciplinary action under ICC regulations, as selective participation undermines the integrity of a global tournament.

Sources added that the ICC is following a similar deliberative process as it did earlier with Bangladesh, engaging the board over several days before arriving at a final determination.