Pakistan can be out in the group stage itself
Winning the World Cup is every team’s dream. For this, one has to cross the group stage, but not playing the match with India can make this path more difficult for Pakistan. Clause 16.10.7 in the ICC rules states that if a team refuses to play the match, its score is considered to be 0 runs in 20 overs. On the other hand, no over of the opposing team is counted. Zero runs means that Pakistan’s run rate will go straight down. Even if B wins the subsequent matches, the run rate may still remain negative. The situation in Group A is not that easy. Apart from India, there are teams like America, Netherlands and Namibia, who were first