The 2025 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in Pakistan, is approaching. The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported on Sunday that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has urged the ICC to compensate them if the Team India refuse to travel to Pakistan.
It was reported that the chairman of the PCB management committee, Zaka Ashraf, along with PCB COO Salman Naseer had a meeting with the ICC executive board in Ahmedabad earlier and there, the hosting of the Champions Trophy 2025 was discussed. The PCB officials wanted ICC to avoid taking any unilateral decisions if BCCI refuses to send the Team India to Pakistan for the event.
It is pertinent to mention here that India previously refused to come to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023. Despite Pakistan having the rights to host Asia Cup 2023, BCCI stated that their government has refused to let their cricket team travel to Pakistan. As a result, the tournament was scheduled on a hybrid model with some of the matches taking place in Pakistan and the rest in Sri Lanka.
Moreover, it was revealed in the report that PCB officials further recommended that if BCCI or the Indian Government refuses to send their team because of security reasons, then the ICC should make an independent security agency/committee that can visit Pakistan and asses the security arrangements of Pakistan.
Despite the Indian team’s reservations about touring Pakistan, the fact that Pakistan is safe to travel cannot be denied. Except for India, every top-tier team has visited Pakistan in recent years and the tours have taken place successfully without any security issues.
Sources also claimed that shifting the event to a hybrid model (like the Asia Cup 2023) is also a possible option given the condition that ICC will compensate Pakistan for the losses.
Pakistan last hosted a major ICC event back in 1996. It will be close to three decades after which Pakistan will host a Major ICC event in 2025.