Pakistan, Feb. 11 -- Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi's assertion that Pakistan acted only "to get respect for Bangladesh" deserves to be read not as rhetorical solidarity but as a rare instance of Islamabad using its own leverage to defend the integrity of the game, insisting that fairness in international cricket cannot remain a privilege reserved for the powerful.

Pakistan had shocked the sporting world by threatening to boycott a T20 World Cup match against India; a drastic step taken after Bangladesh was effectively pushed out of the tournament for refusing to play in India, citing security concerns amid deteriorating bilateral relations. Compounding the grievance was the ICC's own recent history because previously, it h...