ICC may take legal action against Pak: Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh says ICC is justified in acting against Pakistan over its refusal to play India, warning of legal action and strict sanctions.

Pakistan's government decided against granting permission to its cricket team to play the high-profile game in Colombo and though no official reason has been given, it is being widely construed as a gesture of solidarity with Bangladesh.

IMAGE: Pakistan's government decided against granting permission to its cricket team to play the high-profile game in Colombo and though no official reason has been given, it is being widely construed as a gesture of solidarity with Bangladesh. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points

Harbhajan Singh backs ICC action against Pakistan over India boycott.
Says Pakistan must justify withdrawal or face consequences.
Harbhajan criticises Pakistan for stepping into Bangladesh’s issue.

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has backed the International Cricket Council’s tough stance on Pakistan’s decision to boycott its T20 World Cup clash against India, saying the world body would be well within its rights to take firm action to protect the integrity of global tournaments.

Pakistan decided to boycott its group-stage match against India in the ICC World T20 World Cup, scheduled for February 15. The Pakistan government said in a post on X that the Pakistan team "shall not take the field" in the match against India.

Among the available options, the world body could dock Pakistan's World Test Championship points, make them stagnant in ICC rankings, and prompt top member nations to refuse to travel there.

'If Pakistan does not have a valid reason to justify withdrawing from the big match against India, or if they cannot show grounds for breaching the contract, then action will be taken by the ICC Board,' Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

'ICC should not spare Pakistan for the last-minute decision'

'I don't know what action they will take, but I think there are so many other boards involved, so it's not just going to be one person's decision. However, it should be something that ensures no other team in the future also considers doing that.

'The ICC will probably take legal action against Pakistan over the refusal to play against India, but what the result of such an action would be, I can't say,' he added.

Harbhajan said the ICC should not spare Pakistan for the last-minute decision.

'They didn't have a problem earlier. They've now stepped into what was Bangladesh's issue. This decision can affect the ICC, so the ICC has every right to take legal action. It can impact the entire tournament,' he added.