Minutes after the Pakistan government backtracked on its decision not to allow its team to play India, the Mumbai-Colombo-Mumbai round-trip fare increased by Rs 10,000 to Rs 60,000.
The Pakistan government backtracked from its decision to boycott the match against India on February 15, saving the International Cricket Council (ICC) a revenue loss of $174 million, sources said.”The total loss would have been around $174 million, including broadcaster, gate money, and other sponsorships,” a source said.
As soon as it was confirmed that Pakistan would now play India, the Mumbai-Colombo-Mumbai round-trip fare increased by ₹10,000 to ₹60,000.
On Tuesday, the Pakistan government approved the Pakistan cricket team’s participation in the T20 World Cup in Colombo, following a request from “friendly countries.” Several back-channel discussions were held to find a middle ground, involving representatives from Sri Lanka Cricket, the Bangladesh Cricket Board, the Pakistan Cricket Board, and the ICC. Pakistan remained adamant that they would stand with the Bangladesh Cricket Board after their request to play in Sri Lanka instead of India was denied. This led ICC members to decide to include Scotland in place of Bangladesh.