India-Pakistan T20 World Cup Clash: PCB Invokes Force Majeure to Boycott India Match

Pakistan Boycotts India Clash in T20 World Cup

The PCB has officially notified the International Cricket Council (ICC) of the government's decision for a boycott of the affair and laid the groundwork for continued talks between the bodies.
The turnaround came once the ICC was in touch with PCB — outlining the potential damages PCB could be claimed from (and specifying the context in which force majeure may be effectively brought) — as well as asking the board of Pakistan to prove it had done things to alleviate it, the party sources reported. 

Citing Force Majeure After Government Ban

The controversy, however, emerged following a public statement by the Pakistan government that its team would not be playing against India, and subsequently confirmed its participation in the rest of the tournament.
That’s when the PCB subsequently put out an official letter to the ICC, mentioning the ‘Force Majeure’ clause, and the government statement, but with no clarification. The ICC replied that it would like its understanding to be clarified how force majeure could be implemented in a single match when the team played in their remaining fixtures. 

Force Majeure Explained

Officials also wanted to know what Pakistan was doing, what other options its team had or an exemption to it. The Force Majeure issue PCB had been referring to here is one of “unforeseeable circumstances” that might stop a contract from being carried out.
While pressing the clause with the ICC, the Pakistan board also posted their government’s social media post on February 1 that instructed them to participate in the T20 World Cup but boycott the India game next Sunday. The ICC said the PCB’s invocation of Force Majeure was ‘without any further questions, explanation or justification.’ 

ICC's Measured Response

ICC is responding to the case in the same manner as its previous handling of sensitive matters, playing it by the rules, looking to the people, setting a precedent, and going through a process rather than by meeting the issues head-on.
The governing body’s objectives are the honor and soundness of the tournament itself, player well-being, and the interests of fans and stakeholders.