The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly planning to send a formal letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to seek clarification regarding India’s decision of not traveling to Pakistan for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
The concerns over India’s participation in the tournament grew after the ICC declared Pakistan as the host nation for the 2025 edition of the Champions Trophy. Due to the diplomatic tensions between the two countries, there have been doubts about whether India would be willing to play in Pakistan.
According to a report from Dawn, the PCB has approached the Pakistani government for guidance on how to proceed after receiving a letter from the ICC regarding India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan. The PCB is reportedly preparing a series of questions to send to the ICC, asking for a formal explanation of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision.
“Since the BCCI has not provided a specific reason for its stance on not visiting Pakistan, the PCB is awaiting clarification before determining its next course of action,” sources were quoted saying in the report.
Earlier, a PCB source confirmed that there had been no discussion of a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy at this stage. However, it has been speculated that a model similar to the one used during last year’s Asia Cup could be considered, where India’s matches were played in Sri Lanka while other fixtures were held in Pakistan. There are speculations that the UAE, particularly Dubai, could host India’s games in the upcoming tournament, which is scheduled for February 2025.
India has not toured Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, and the two teams only meet in ICC-sanctioned events due to the strained diplomatic relationship between the two countries.
(With inputs from Agencies)