Pakistan, Feb. 7 -- International sports have long claimed political neutrality, yet in cricket, the record of International Cricket Council (ICC) events shows that geopolitics, security doctrines, and visa regimes have repeatedly manifested India's bullying of the cricket world. The history of forfeited matches and forced relocations now shapes how global cricket is being governed.

The first clear forfeitures in an ICC men's event occurred at the 1996 Cricket World Cup, when Australia and the West Indies refused to travel to Sri Lanka (who went on to win it later) after the Colombo bombing, leading the ICC to award walkovers; a precedent that teams could decline to play and still shape tournament outcomes. A more overtly political prece...