The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that India will not be travelling to Pakistan for ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This is the first time Pakistan will be hosting an ICC event since the 1996 Cricket World Cup.
Why Will India Not Travel To Pakistan?
India’s decision to not participate in Champions Trophy comes after longstanding political tensions between the two nations. Team India has not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup, the tournament took place under the leadership of MS Dhoni.
How Did Pakistan Address The Situation?
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is believed to have approached the Pakistani government in an attempt to resolve the situation. It is learnt that Mohsin Naqvi will be approached most likely during the course of the next few days to help in resolving the issue. The PCB officials had refused the hybrid model as is for hosting the tournament with it experienced for the very first time in 2023 Asia Cup wherein all the matches including the final of India were staged at Sri Lanka.
Aakash Chopra Blames Pakistan
Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra made his views on the situation known, observing that Pakistan has only itself to blame for the present state of affairs. He stated security concerns and diplomatic issues that have led to this impasse.
According to Chopra Pakistan has failed to address the ongoing issues and the country should take the responsibility for the fallout.
‘Pakistan Have Themselves To Blame‘ Says Chopra
“It has been decided that India won’t go to Pakistan, and this is not the BCCI’s decision. Let’s make it very, very clear. India’s cricket team doesn’t decide where and when they will go when we talk about Pakistan. For the other places. it’s fine. However, if you are going to Pakistan, it’s not the BCCI’s but the Indian government’s decision.“
“They have communicated that they will not give the permission to go there. So India are not going. In a way, they (Pakistan) have themselves to blame. Yesterday only I saw that there was a bomb blast in a railway station in Quetta, and then whatever Pakistan are involved in when we talk about India, especially Kashmir.” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel
What Lies In The Future For Champions Trophy ?
There were several reports that Pakistan will likely go to the Court of Arbitration (CAS) after India has refused to travel to Pakistan. While the tournament is likely to go ahead in February-March 2025, the chances of its succeeding depend on how easily the Indian absence could be compensated by other top teams. The PCB would likely continue to plead its case, but with the hybrid model ruled out, and India now firmly off the table, the format and future of the tournament in question hang in the balance.
