Broadcasters could take a revenue hit if India refuses to play Pakistan

Whenever there is a cricket match between India and Pakistan, not only do emotions run high but commercial stakes also go up, as sports broadcasters charge a premium for ad spots.

No surprises then, that following the Pulwama terror attack, there were angry demands country-wide that India boycott the upcoming World Cup match with Pakistan. The Committee of Administrators (CoA) that runs cricket body BCCI was under pressure to take a call.

The CoA in its wisdom preferred to play it safe. After deliberating the matter in a meeting here on Friday, it decided to leave the decision with the government. There is ample time to take the decision since the India-Pakistan face-off at the World Cup is scheduled for June 16, it pointed out.