Ahmed Shehzad has called for Pakistan to take a tough stance on the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 after India refused to come to Pakistan. India has also requested the ICC to host their matches at a neutral venue.
This has resulted in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) denying India the chance to play in Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is preparing to challenge this decision.
According to the Dawn newspaper, the PCB would allegedly request an explanation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) to understand the rationale behind the BCCI’s stance.
In the meanwhile, ICC is considering holding the competition using a hybrid format, with India hosting its matches in Dubai. The PCB has been urged by the Pakistani government to boycott the tournament, and the ICC may decide to move the entire event out of Pakistan.
India has been financially damaging Pakistan cricket: Ahmed Shehzad
Ahmed Shehzad of Pakistan publicly chastised India’s approach to the forthcoming competition, expressing annoyance at what he perceives to be India’s “false promises.”
He noted that although Pakistan gives India credit when they play well on the field, there seem to be other reasons why they are reluctant to play in Pakistan besides cricket-related ones.
“Pakistan now needs to step forward and clarify its stance. We’ve known for a long time that India are making false promises. Whenever they play well, we praise them because they deserve it. But when it comes to this issue (coming to Pakistan), India has been lying for a long time. Even before, whenever Pakistan would try to do something like this (hosting a mega event), India would try to financially damage it,” said Ahmed Shahzad on the Pakistani channel Geo News.
Shehzad further stated that India has crossed a line this time and Pakistan should hold its stance strong. He also said that if India doesn’t want to come, let them be.
“And this time, they’ve crossed the line. Pakistan needs to take a strong stance. If India doesn’t want to come, let them stay away—enough is enough!” added a frustrated Ahmed Shehzad.
The ICC must now find a solution, which might involve shifting the tournament completely outside of Pakistan, possibly to South Africa or the United Arab Emirates.
Also Read: Special Welcome Message From Pakistan Captain For Virat Kohli On Champions Trophy 2025