The decision has been taken after advice from the Indian Government.
In a recent development coming in, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has revelaed their stance of the Indian team travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025.
According to an ESPNCricinfo report, the BCCI has informed the ICC that India will not travel to Pakistan to participate in the mega-event. The report further mentioned that the board had been advised by the Indian government not to send the team to the neighbouring nation.
The report further mentioned that the ICC was made aware of the BCCI’s position earlier this week, although it remains unclear whether the Indian board communicated its decision verbally. The ICC may be awaiting a written statement before passing this information to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
PCB chairman Naqvi, on the other hand, emphasized on Friday that the PCB would require any objections from the BCCI to be submitted “in writing”, so he could review them with his government before making a final decision.
The eight-team Champions Trophy is set to take place across three venues in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9. However, recent developments suggest that the ICC and PCB may need to implement a contingency plan, potentially involving a hybrid model where matches alternate between Pakistan and a secondary location.
This approach could be challenging, especially after PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi recently dismissed the idea of a hybrid model, stating that it hadn’t even been discussed. Nevertheless, it is understood that several contingency plans were considered months ago, in case such a model became necessary.
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Among potential alternative locations, the UAE appears to be a leading option due to its proximity to Pakistan, with Sri Lanka also under consideration.
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