What is International Cricket Council’s (ICC) role in the current mess that the 2025 Champions Trophy finds itself in? Now, questions are being raised by insiders too. After India’s stance to not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been steadfast in its stance to not agree to a hybrid model of hosting. The situation is such that there are clouds over the Champions Trophy 2025 itself.
In the midst of this, Cricbuzz said that a ‘key official’ told the publication that the ICC could have been more proactive.
The publication also gave a detailed reason. India have not been travelling to Pakistan, due to diplomatic issues, for a long time now. When the Champions Trophy schedule was shared with all, and well in advance, nobody raised an objection. Cricbuzz also said, no formal concerns were raised by the BCCI regarding the Champions Trophy in the 12 ICC Board meetings since then.
The PCB on Sunday had confirmed that it received an email from the ICC that India declined to travel to the neighbouring country.
India have not travelled to Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes. The two teams compete against each other only in ICC tournaments.
ICC, the game’s global governing body, has received a letter from the Pakistan Cricket Board, asking for a written confirmation from the BCCI for India’s inability to travel to Pakistan for the tournament.
The PCB has conveyed to the ICC that security is not an issue in the country which successfully hosted England and New Zealand recently and promised the same for the Champions Trophy.
It remained steadfast on its stand to not have the event in hybrid model, like the last year’s Asia Cup when India’s matches were held in Sri Lanka.
The ICC is yet to respond to the PCB and was discussing the schedule with the participating teams.
The PTI has learnt that the PCB is also not keen to host the tournament outside the country, not even in the UAE.
However the launch event in Lahore has been pushed back.
It was being planned in Lahore as per ICC management’s briefing to the ICC CEC and ICC Board on 21st October in Dubai. But this has now been put on a hold, informed an ICC insider.
With PTI inputs
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