"India versus Pakistan is the most highly marketed fixture at every multination tournament the World Cup, Asia Cup or Asian Games whether it's a men's, women's or Under-19 event. Few sporting events globally carry the weight and anticipation of an India-Pakistan cricket match. So, when Pakistan's government ordered its team not to face India at the ongoing T20 World Cup, the tournament was briefly pushed into a state of chaos."
"A week of negotiations led to a dramatic late U-turn by the Pakistani government and the match will now take place as scheduled on Sunday at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. But what if the boycott had gone ahead? The impact could have been catastrophic, not just for Pakistan, but also for the International Cricket Council (ICC), as well as Sri Lanka."
Sri Lanka faced potential massive losses after Pakistan announced a boycott of its India match, but Pakistan reversed the decision and the T20 World Cup fixture will be played in Colombo on Sunday. India and Pakistan once combined a team ahead of the 1996 World Cup to support Sri Lanka amid boycott threats. The cancellation threat briefly pushed the tournament into chaos and placed heavy diplomatic and financial strain on the host nation. The reversal averts catastrophic impact for Pakistan, the ICC and Sri Lanka. The match promises a large influx of Indian and Pakistani fans, boosting tourism, hospitality revenues, diplomatic capital and community morale in a country still recovering from the 2022 economic crisis.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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