The International Cricket Council (ICC) has ordered Pakistan to stop the Champions Trophy tour across Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). The cities like Skardu, Hunza, and Muzaffarabad were earlier part of the plan of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
POK is the illegal region occupied by the Pakistan government since the partition in 1947. Thereafter, there have been frequent conflicts between the Indian and Pakistan government regarding claiming authority over the region.
A source claimed that BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who is set to replace Greg Barclay as ICC chairman from next month, has expressed his displeasure at PCB’s plan to carry on the Champions Trophy tour in the disputed region. It also added that the tournament will be conducted by ICC and PCB are not responsible for the trophy tour and release of the schedule.
“Jay Shah has objected to that tweet and has criticized and condemned PCB’s plan to take the trophy to PoK cities. Additionally, PCB has no business sharing the schedule because it has to come from the ICC. Things need to be done appropriately, via appropriate channels,” a source was quoted as telling The Times of India.
Moreover, the apex board canceled the launch event marking the 100-day countdown of the marquee event in Lahore earlier this week.
The last edition of the Champions Trophy took place in 2017, and saw Sarfaraz Ahmed-led Pakistan lifting the silverware by beating India by 180 runs.
ICC announces official global Champions Trophy Tour
The global Trophy tour of the Champions Trophy kicked off on November 16 in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. The silverware will journey across eight participating nations, to much happinness of the fans.
The trophy will be displayed on sites like Daman-e-Koh, Faisal Mosque, and the Pakistan Monument and accompanied by former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar. After Islamabad, the tour will head to Karachi, Abbottabad, and Taxila, before heading for other countries. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, England and India are the other nations participating in the tournament.
The tour’s last destination will be India from January 15-26, with the trophy returning to Pakistan and the tournament expected to begin from February 19. However, ICC is caught in a fix with India refusing to travel to Pakistan for the showpiece event, and the schedule will be out after the host is confirmed.
Dates of Champions Trophy Tour:
16 November – Islamabad, Pakistan
17 November – Taxila and Khanpur, Pakistan
18 November – Abbottabad, Pakistan
19 November- Murree, Pakistan
20 November- Nathia Gali, Pakistan
22 – 25 November – Karachi, Pakistan
26 – 28 November – Afghanistan
10 – 13 December – Bangladesh
15 – 22 December – South Africa
25 December – 5 January – Australia
6 – 11 January – New Zealand
12 – 14 January – England
15 – 26 January – India
27 January – event start – Pakistan
