Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), cleared the board’s stand when it comes to Team India traveling to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy tournament next year. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has given Pakistan the hosting rights for the Champions Trophy 2025.
The event will include eight teams and will take place between February and March of next year. The 50-over event will reportedly take place from February 19 to March 9.
However, it is improbable that the Indian team will travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. The Men in Blue have not visited Pakistan in 16 years, nor have they traveled for the Asia Cup 2023. The Pakistan Cricket Board had to use a hybrid approach to host the Asia Cup, with Sri Lanka serving as a co-host.
India has not traveled to Pakistan since Asia Cup 2008 as the Mumbai terror attacks happened later that year. Pakistan players were also banned from the Indian Premier League. Though Pakistan visited India in 2012-13 for a bilateral series, India has never reciprocated the same, especially after the Pulwama attack.
Jay Shah confirms BCCI has no stand as of now regarding Champions Trophy 2025
When asked whether India will travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025, Jay Shah said that there is no official stance as of now. Shah stated that the decision will be made closer to the event.
“No stand as of now. We will cross the bridge when it comes,” Jay Shah was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
Foreign teams have recently visited Pakistan for a series. However, New Zealand canceled their 2021 tour before the ODI series due to security concerns. England also canceled their planned tour to Pakistan later that year.
The ninth Champions Trophy will include eight teams. The teams qualified based on their performance at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Group A of the competition features India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and New Zealand, while Group B includes Australia, England, South Africa, and Afghanistan.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, with the winners moving on to the final. The competition was last held in 2017 when Pakistan defeated India in the final to win their first Champions Trophy title.
Australia is the only team that has won the Champions Trophy twice, in 2006 and 2010. India shared the 2002 title with Sri Lanka owing to a washed-out final and won the title in 2013. Other teams to win the Champions Trophy title are South Africa (1998), New Zealand (2000), and the West Indies (2004).
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