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There has been a lot of chatter surrounding India’s participation in the Champions Trophy 2025 which is scheduled to take place in Pakistan. India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series in over a decade due to political tensions and the Indian government has maintained a hard stance that the cricket team will not travel to Pakistan. However, according to a Cricbuzz report, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has come up with a somewhat strange solution to the problem. The report claimed that PCB have written to BCCI “offering assistance should the Indian team prefer to return to India – either to Chandigarh or New Delhi – after each game to avoid staying in Pakistan due to security concerns”.
According to the current tournament schedule, India’s three group stage matches are on – February 20 (vs Bangladesh), February 23 (vs Pakistan), and March 2 (vs New Zealand). Moreover, they will all take place in Lahore – a venue that was reportedly chosen due to its proximity to the border.
The report stated that there is nearly a week-long gap between India’s last two matches and the PCB has suggested that India can travel back home during that time. However, in case India reach the final of the competition, Pakistan have maintained their stance of hosting the match in Lahore.
Top officials of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), including chairman Richard Thompson, have suggested that staging the Champions Trophy without powerhouse India is not an option and there are “contingencies available” if Rohit Sharma’s team doesn’t travel to host country Pakistan.
India have not played in Pakistan since 2008 due to the tense relations between the two countries and their travel to the South Asian nation is solely dependent on government clearance.
With the government unlikely to give the BCCI permission to send the team to Lahore, the Champions Trophy in a hybrid model seems the most likely option. Like the Asia Cup last year, India can play their matches in a third country while the other games can be staged in Pakistan.
The tournament will be held in February-March.
“It would not be in cricket’s interests for India not to be playing in the Champions Trophy,” Thompson, who is in Pakistan alongside ECB CEO Richard Gould, was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
(With PTI inputs)
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