Champions Trophy 2025: ICC demands explanation from BCCI over decision not to travel to Pakistan, India to send whole dossier on terrorism in PAK
The conundrum over ICC Champions Trophy 2025 continued with India and Pakistan both firm in their stands. While India is certain they don’t want to travel to Pakistan for their matches, Pakistan is hell-bent on not agreeing to a ‘hybrid model’ for the tournament.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has now officially asked for a written explanation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over their decision not to send the Indian team to Pakistan for next year’s Champions Trophy, according to Geo News.
The development comes after BCCI verbally informed the ICC of their decision not to send the team to Pakistan for next year’s marquee event. In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) requested the ICC to provide a copy of India’s response, sources told Geo News.
“In case of receiving a written reply, Pakistan may seek substantial evidence supporting the reasons,” sources told Geo News, adding that the ICC would then have to take a final decision about India after reviewing those reasons.
The sources also informed Geo News that if India fails to provide ‘proper reasons’ for not travelling to Pakistan, then they would be asked to travel to the country to participate in the tournament.
In case India refuses to travel to Pakistan for any reason, then another team may come in as a replacement for the mega event, the sources further added.
Get ready, Pakistan!
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour kicks off in Islamabad on 16 November, also visiting scenic travel destinations like Skardu, Murree, Hunza and Muzaffarabad. Catch a glimpse of the trophy which Sarfaraz Ahmed lifted in 2017 at The Oval, from 16-24… pic.twitter.com/SmsV5uyzlL
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 14, 2024
Meanwhile, a report on Sports Tak said that BCCI’s response will heavily focus on terrorism in Pakistan and how Team India cricketers could be prime target for the terrorists.
The report said that, along with the reply that the BCCI is sending to the ICC, there is a dossier which mentions that the BCCI is concerned with the terrorist acts in Pakistan. It mentions about cross-border terrorism and also the fact that Indian players can be potentially high target in Pakistan.
Though the Indian cricket team might get a lot of love from the common people, there always remains a chance that terrorists might target the Indian cricket team like what happened in 2009 with the Sri Lanka team in Pakistan. The dossier will also mention the terrorism incidents that happened in Pakistan in the last 12 months including a recent blast in Quetta.