New Delhi. Ahead of the ICC 2025 Champions Trophy, the Pakistan Cricket Board has made a unique demand from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). According to media reports, the PCB has requested that the BCCI give a written statement confirming that the Indian government has refused to allow the Indian cricket team to play in Pakistan due to security concerns. The PCB insisted that the BCCI should submit written evidence to the International Cricket Council (ICC) that the Indian government has refused to allow the Indian team to travel to Pakistan for next year’s tournament.
The report also states that the ICC’s annual conference is scheduled to be held in Colombo on July 19. However, the agenda does not include discussions on the ‘hybrid model’ under which the Indian team will play its matches in the UAE instead of Pakistan. A PCB source said, “If the Indian government has not given permission, it has to be given in writing and the BCCI should immediately submit that letter to the ICC. We have been constantly requesting that the BCCI inform the ICC in writing five to six months in advance about the team’s participation in Pakistan for the tournament.”
If India does not come to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, PCB will boycott the 2026 T20 World Cup.
◆ PCB’s warning to BCCI #ChampionsTrophy2025 #INDvsPAK #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/j0Y3v6pzp5
— Ankit Yadav (@AnkitYa19697671) July 15, 2024
The BCCI has said that the decision to play in Pakistan rests with the Indian government. In the 2023 ODI Asia Cup, India’s matches were held in Sri Lanka under the hybrid model. The PCB has already submitted the draft schedule for the Champions Trophy to the ICC, which includes all of India’s matches, semi-finals and the final to be played in Lahore. The much-awaited India vs Pakistan match is scheduled to take place on March 1.
This is reminiscent of the events of the 2023 Asia Cup, where India refused to travel to Pakistan, leading to the tournament being played under a hybrid model, with India’s matches being held in Sri Lanka. As of now, the BCCI has not released any official statement regarding the 2025 Champions Trophy. However, several reports suggest that the Indian cricket board has requested the ICC for a hybrid model.