The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written to the International Cricket Council (ICC) seeking clarification regarding India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy next year, Geo News reported on Tuesday.
Due to tense political ties between the two nations, India has not traveled to Pakistan since 2008, when they played the Asia Cup there.
India has firmly maintained its stance of not traveling to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy, citing “security concerns.” Earlier this year, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla stated that India would only consider traveling to Pakistan if permitted by the Government of India.
Recently, the ICC formally informed the PCB that India would not be traveling to Pakistan to participate in the marquee event, scheduled to be held in Pakistan in early 2025.
The PCB has consulted with the Pakistani government on the issue and intends to take a firm stance on the matter. “If India’s participation contributes to the ICC’s revenue, the PCB’s role is equally crucial, and without Pakistan-India matches, ICC revenues would suffer significantly,” sources told Geo News.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has requested the ICC to arrange India’s matches under a hybrid model, with the final likely to be held at the Dubai International Stadium in the UAE.
However, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi recently dismissed the possibility of hosting the tournament under a hybrid model, stating that there have been no discussions about such an arrangement.
On Tuesday, sources reported that South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have emerged as possible venues for hosting the Champions Trophy in 2025 if Pakistan decides to withdraw at the last moment. Reports indicate that if the tournament is shifted to a neutral venue, Pakistan may also consider pulling out.
India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series in 2012-13 in India, which was a white-ball series, and now mostly face each other in ICC tournaments and Asia Cups.
(ANI)