Indian kabaddi team 'fails to get clearance' to tour Pakistan

The Indian kabaddi team's request for permission to visit Pakistan has also been denied by the Indian authorities, after they refused to grant the Indian cricket team permission in this regard, Geo News reported citing sources on Thursday.

The sources said that the latest development had been communicated to the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation.

Kabaddi matches between Pakistan and India were scheduled to take place in Kartarpur next week, followed by Lahore and Bahawalpur.

The development comes after India refused to play Champions Trophy tournament in Pakistan next year.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last week that India would not tour Pakistan for the eight-team tournament, sources had said, leaving the fate of the event hanging in the balance.

Pakistan had previously rejected the option of a hybrid arrangement that would allow India to play their matches at neutral venues, for example in the United Arab Emirates.

Meanwhile, the PCB has asked the sport's governing body to explain India's refusal to send a team to the country for the mega cricket event.

The board intends to present a firm stance, reflecting the government's advisory, and has decided to not accept any "hybrid model" provisioning any of its Champions Trophy matches outside Pakistan.

"If India's participation contributes to ICC’s revenue, the PCB’s role is equally crucial, and without Pakistan-India matches, the ICC revenues would suffer significantly," say sources.

Also, there's a chance of Pakistan boycotting ICC events in India altogether for "mixing sports with politics" and refusing to visit Pakistan.

The prospective move, if executed, could have major financial and structural consequences for global cricket as Pakistan's absence could weaken viewership and ICC’s projected revenue from broadcasters and sponsors.

The ICC, which secured $3.2 billion from broadcast rights for the 2024-2027 cycle and anticipates $1 billion more in other revenue, relies heavily on marquee events featuring Pakistan and India, which consistently attract record viewership and engagement.

“No India vs Pakistan games in ICC events mean all broadcast and sponsorship deals would fall out,” said a source who noted that a match in the ICC event is important for global cricket.

In recent years, the ICC has made sure that India play Pakistan at least once in each of the global cricketing events, ensuring a major chunk of revenue from this game.

The match between arch-rivals at the 2023 World Cup drew unprecedented interest, with 173 million viewers on Indian TV and 225 million digital viewers.

It is to be noted that India has not played an international match in Pakistan since 2008. Last year, the BCCI declined to send a team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, leading to a hybrid format with later stages held in Sri Lanka.

However, Pakistan did visit India soon after for the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they fell short of reaching the semi-finals.