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In a major blow to Pakistan cricket, amid ongoing uncertainty over their participation in the T20 World Cup, Australia’s television networks have refused to broadcast the three-match T20I series between Pakistan and Australia. The series was meant to serve as a tune-up event ahead of the ICC tournament, which is set to begin on February 7. Pakistan’s home series began on January 29 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
According to a report in The Economic Times, Australian TV networks opted against broadcasting the matches as they would begin late at night in Australia and were therefore unlikely to generate strong viewership or advertising returns. As per the schedule, all three games are set to start at 10 PM AEDT, a time slot that typically draws limited audience interest.
Beyond the timing, the series is also expected to attract reduced interest among Australian viewers due to the absence of several senior players, who have been rested as part of workload management. The unavailability of star names such as Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Tim David is likely to further diminish the series’ appeal for broadcasters.
A senior television executive reportedly described the series against Pakistan as “commercially unviable”, despite the long-standing cricketing rivalry between the two nations.
The development comes amid the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) threatening to boycott the upcoming T20 World Cup in solidarity with Bangladesh, which was removed from the tournament by the ICC earlier last month. The ICC rejected Bangladesh’s “security concerns” over sending its team to India for the World Cup, and with the Bangladesh Cricket Board refusing to budge from its stance, the apex body named Scotland as the replacement side.
Angered by the ICC’s decision, Pakistan indicated that a boycott of the tournament remains a possibility. However, PCB has said it will await a final signal from the government before taking a call, with the board expected to make its stance clear by Monday.
