Fact Check: ICC bans Pakistan Cricket Board for one year over T20 World Cup row? Here’s the truth
A photo claiming to show an ICC media release announcing a one-year ban on Pakistan cricket is being widely shared on social media.
By - M Ramesh Naik
Claim:A viral image of an official statement from the ICC stated that the Pakistan Cricket Board has been banned for a year.
Fact:The claim is false. The ICC has issued no such media release banning Pakistan cricket. The viral letter is a fake.
Hyderabad: Pakistan’s ongoing cricket controversy shows no signs of settling down. A day after the Pakistani government announced on its official X handle that its national team would not play the T20 World Cup match against India scheduled for February 15, reactions poured in from various quarters.
Pakistan was slated to face India in a group-stage match in Colombo. The decision followed the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) removal of Bangladesh from the tournament, after which the Pakistani government signalled its intention to selectively participate in the event. Reports speculated that the ICC could respond with punitive action, including a possible ban and financial penalties.
Amid this backdrop, a poster claiming to be an official ICC media release announcing a one-year ban on Pakistan cricket began circulating widely on social media.
An X user shared the image with the caption, “ICC HAS BANNED PAKISTAN CRICKET BOARD FOR ONE YEAR.” (Archive)
The purported media release claims that during an ICC meeting, a 14-2 vote was held, following which Pakistan cricket was allegedly banned for one year. It further states that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) would be suspended for a year, Pakistan’s annual revenue share would be cut from 5.75 per cent to 2.25 per cent, and that the country would be barred from hosting ICC tournaments until 2040, citing the need to protect the integrity and spirit of the sport.
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. No such media release announcing a ban on Pakistan cricket has been issued by the ICC.
To verify the claim, NewsMeter conducted a keyword search and found an official ICC statement titled ‘ICC Statement on ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026’, released on February 1.
In the statement, the ICC noted the Pakistani government’s announcement regarding instructing its national team to selectively participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The ICC stated that while it was awaiting official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), selective participation was incompatible with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event, where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms.
The ICC emphasised that its tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness, and warned that selective participation undermines the sanctity of international competitions.
While acknowledging the role of governments in matters of national policy, the ICC stated that such decisions are not in the interest of the global game or cricket fans worldwide, including those in Pakistan.
The ICC further urged the PCB to consider the long-term implications of such actions on cricket in Pakistan and reiterated that its priority remains the successful conduct of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, a responsibility shared by all member boards.
However, nowhere in this statement did the ICC announce a ban on Pakistan cricket.
NewsMeter also checked the ICC’s official website and found no media release or announcement related to banning the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Comparison of viral image with official letter
To further find out the authenticity of the viral image, NewsMeter conducted a reverse image search. This led to a Facebook post by the official DD Sportspage, which shared an ICC statement using a similar poster format on February 2.
A comparison of the viral image with the DD Sports poster shows that while both use the ICC logo and a ‘Media Release’ header, the font style differs. Additionally, the viral image shows a partially visible Sports Doordarshan logo on the top-right, matching the placement seen in DD Sports’ official posters.
This indicates that the viral image appears to have been created using the DD Sports poster template. However, a thorough review of DD Sports’ social media handles found no such poster announcing a ban on Pakistan cricket.
Therefore, the claim that the ICC has banned the Pakistan Cricket Board for one year is false. The ‘official letter’ from the ICC is a fake.
