Heartbreak For PCB As India In No Mood To Tour Pakistan For ICC Champions Trophy - Report

India unlikely to tour Pakistan for Champions Trophy (Source: AP)

KEY HIGHLIGHTS Pakistan are set to host Champions Trophy.

India are unlikely to tour.

The issue will be raised in ICC AGM.

The T20 World Cup is done and dusted and the focus now shifts to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Defending Champions Pakistan will host the marquee event from February 19 to March 9 next year. The fate of the tournament, however, hangs in uncertainty as the BCCI are yet to confirm India's participation in the tournament.

As per reports, team India is unlikely to travel to Pakistan for the gala event. Cricket in Pakistan restored normalcy as the Men in Green successfully hosted top teams in the last few years. The country went through a long phase where there was no international cricket in Pakistan following the deadly attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team in 2009. However, things improved for good and cricket returned to the country.

India not touring Pakistan for the Champions Trophy is linked to the stained political relations between the two countries. The issue of India's participation in the Champions Trophy will be raised in the ICC Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Sri Lanka later this month.

A source close to the BCCI revealed that India are unlikely to tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, however, added that the final call will be taken by the government of India.

“We haven’t discussed anything about Champions Trophy but I think it’s unlikely that will travel to Pakistan a final call will be taken by the government on travel to Pakistan,” the source told Sports Tak.

A similar situation came up in 2023 when Pakistan were given the hosting rights of the Asia Cup, however, India refused to tour the country and the tournament had to be played in the hybrid model, with India playing all games in Sri Lanka. When asked if a similar procedure could be followed in the Champions Trophy, the source said that BCCI has no role in changing the venue as the Champions Trophy is an ICC tournament.

“We haven’t discussed about it. The government will decide and will follow. It is an ICC event we can’t decide about the tournament. The next ICC meeting may throw some light in regards to the Champions Trophy.”

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