Will Indian cricket team travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025? Here’s what BCCI vice president says

With speculations rising over the Indian Cricket Team's travel plan to Pakistan in 2025 for the Champions Trophy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India Vice President Rajeev Shukla on Monday said that the Indian government would take a decision on the matter next year.

Pakistan is scheduled to host the prestigious ICC ODI tournament from February 19 to March 9, 2025.

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"No decision has been taken (yet). But our policy is that for international tours, we always seek the permission of the government. It's up to the government to decide whether our team should go to any country or our team should not go to any country," PTI quoted Shukla as saying.

"In this case (also), whatever the government will decide, we will abide by that," he added.

The BCCI vice president was addressing the media on the sidelines of the ongoing second Test between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur.

Since 2008, India and Pakistan have not travelled to each other's country apart from ICC events. This was due to the tensions between the countries following the Mumbai terror attacks in which over 150 people were killed.

In 2023, Pakistan were in India for the ODI World Cup after a gap of seven years. Also, the last bilateral series between India and Pakistan played was in 2013 when Pakistan travelled to India for a T20I and an ODI series.

PCB requests ICC to confirm schedule: According to a report by The Tribune, the ICC is expected to release the final schedule for CT 2025 by the end of next month. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has requested the apex cricket board to finalise the schedule in advance, allowing Pakistan to move forward with concrete preparations related to provisional bookings and optimal logistical arrangements for all competing teams.

In addition, Naqvi and newly appointed ICC Chairman Jay Shah are expected to meet in Dubai in October during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 final.

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