The Board of Control for Cricket in India have verbally communicated to the International Cricket Council (ICC) that India will not travel to Pakistan to play the Champions Trophy. Top BCCI sources have confirmed the development to India Today and revealed that the board will announce its position after the schedule of the tournament is confirmed.
Champions Trophy, which returns after a break of 8 years will host the top 8 teams in the international circuit. The right to host the tournament is with Pakistan in 2025 and Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi has stressed time and again that if India wants to play Pakistan, they have to travel to the rival nation.
A top source in the BCCI confirmed that verbal communication had been sent to the ICC.
“Verbally we have communicated but soon we will send an official mail to ICC about the government directions that we are not travelling to Pakistan for Champions Trophy,” a BCCI source told India Today.
When India Today approached ICC for a confirmation a source said they would confirm the news after the schedule of the tournament is announced.
“The schedule is not confirmed, we are still in discussions and dialogue with the host and participating nations on the Champions Trophy schedule, once confirmed we will announce through our normal channels,” an ICC source said.
India Today had earlier reported that the Indian team will not be travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and are going to play matches in a hybrid model in the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board rubbished media reports that claimed it agreed to host the Champions Trophy in a hybrid model that would allow India to play their matches at a neutral venue. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had earlier demanded written communication from India about not wanting to travel to Pakistan.
“We need everything in writing if India has any issues with travelling to Pakistan. we have been reading reports in the Indian media, but nothing official has come to us. As for the BCCI, we have not received anything from the ICC if the BCCI has written anything to them,” Naqvi said on Friday, November 8 while inspecting the renovation of the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
“So far, we have not spoken anything about the hybrid model, nor are we ready to discuss that issue,” Naqvi said, adding that politics and sports should be kept away from each other.
“Our preparations for the Champions Trophy are on course and will continue in the same fashion. If India does decide to pull out, we will seek advice from our government and will respond accordingly, as we have been very cordial with the BCCI on so many occasions in the past,” he added.
A PCB source told India Today on Friday that Pakistan have not considered a hybrid model and is keen on hosting the entire tournament across three venues — Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. The clarification comes at a time when speculation is rife that the International Cricket Council will announce the Champions Trophy schedule on November 11. Reports claimed that the ICC would announce the schedule without confirming the venues for the eight-team tournament.
