The BCCI has officially told the ICC that the Indian cricket team will not be traveling to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Pakistan will host the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 from 19th February to 9th March 2025. The big issue here is that the government of India doesn’t allow the cricket team to travel to the neighboring country. Both nations have not played any bilaterals since 2012. India last played in Pakistan back in 2008 for the Asia Cup.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi revealed that the ICC has told PCB that India won’t come to Pakistan. After this, many former Pakistani cricketers have been very critical of India. The likes of Javed Miandad, Inzamam ul Haq and Rashid Latif expressed their views on this.
“India will get best hospitality in Pakistan”: Inzamam ul Haq
Former captain Inzamam ul Haq said, “They are depriving cricket of such a big· occasion. There is no threat to the Indian team. In fact, they would get the best hospitality here”.
Javed Miandad went on to say that PCB should boycott any matches against India in the ICC tournaments.
“It is a joke that this is happening. Even if we don’t play India at all, Pakistan cricket will not only survive but prosper as well as we have shown in the past. I would like to see how the ICC events earn money when there are no Pakistan and India matches”, he said
Former spinner Rashid Latif was also critical of India’s stance. “Enough is enough. When all teams are playing in Pakistan without any problem, this decision by India is purely political, and that should be unacceptable in all sports, including cricket”, he said.
With India clearing their stance, the tournament may be organized in a hybrid-model. India may play their games somewhere else with all the other matches taking place in Pakistan. Now, it’s all up to the ICC to decide.
