The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that it will not be flexible in hosting the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy entirely within Pakistan, despite India’s stance of refusing to travel to Pakistan for the tournament. Scheduled for February 2025, this ICC event marks the first major international cricket tournament in Pakistan since 1996.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently informed the ICC of its government's decision not to allow the Indian team to travel to Pakistan, prompting the ICC to formally notify the PCB. In response, the PCB is seeking support from the Pakistani government to move forward with the event as planned.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, also Pakistan's Interior Minister, emphasized that Pakistan will not entertain a hybrid model—where some matches would be played outside Pakistan, a format previously used in the 2023 Asia Cup. In that event, India’s matches were held outside Pakistan due to similar diplomatic tensions, while other teams competed within Pakistan.
The Pakistani government is expected to support PCB's stance, reinforcing the decision to keep the Champions Trophy exclusively in Pakistan. An official familiar with the situation stated that the government would likely advise PCB to stay resolute and reject any hybrid arrangements, advocating for a full tournament in Pakistan.
With just 100 days until the tournament, this political impasse poses a challenge for the ICC, as the cricketing world awaits further developments in this standoff between two major cricketing nations. The situation could also become more complex in December when BCCI President Jay Shah is anticipated to assume the ICC chairmanship.
The longstanding political tensions between India and Pakistan frequently impact their cricketing engagements, and this issue continues to draw global attention as fans and stakeholders await a resolution.
