Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to reconsider its decision to boycott the World Cup match against India, citing potential financial losses. The match, one of the tournament’s most commercially valuable fixtures, could cost the International Cricket Council (ICC) around 500 million US dollars if it does not take place. Each cricket board of the two rival nations could lose approximately 2 billion Indian rupees directly and indirectly.

SLC stated that the boycott would also harm Sri Lanka’s economy, particularly its tourism sector, which is still recovering from the 2022 financial crisis. The board emphasized that as a co-host of the World Cup, it stands to face significant economic setbacks if the high-profile match is canceled.

However, the PCB has declined to act on Sri Lanka’s request, explaining that the decision to boycott India was made by the Pakistani government and is beyond the board’s authority. The ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had previously failed to persuade Pakistan to reverse its stance.