The Government of Pakistan has decided to give a “stern warning” to India if the arch-rival skips touring the country for the Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to start in February 2025, sources within the board told Aaj News on Sunday.
They added that the International Cricket Council has communicated to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that India would not be coming to Pakistan for the event. Later, a board spokesperson confirmed this development to AFP.
Pakistan, who emerged victorious in the last Champions Trophy held in England in 2017, is set to host the tournament from February 19 to March 9, 2024.
The ICC was set to release the Champions Trophy schedule this week, but the latest stand-off will likely delay that announcement.
Due to strained political relations, India has not visited Pakistan since 2008, and the two teams only compete against each other in multi-team tournaments.
Last year, Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup, but India, the eventual champions, played all of their matches in Sri Lanka under a “hybrid model” arrangement. At that time, India cited a lack of governmental permission to travel to Pakistan as the reason for not playing there.
Earlier this week, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said that the board has not received any official confirmation regarding the Indian cricket team’s reported refusal to participate in the Champions Trophy matches scheduled to be held in the country next year.
His reaction after Indian media reported that the Indian cricket team would not travel to Pakistan for the event and is seeking to play their matches at a neutral venue.
Sources said that the PCB has resolved that “if India does not come to Pakistan, the country will not play any matches against India in the future.” It has been decided that the host country would “not back down” from its position on the matter.
The PCB has purportedly maintained that no matches would be played against India until relations improve between the two countries.
The government maintained that Pakistan has always sent its team to India, projecting a “positive image, but India consistently politicises sports.”
Moreover, sources within the government have stated that Islamabad would not back down regarding the Champions Trophy. They warned that if India does not come to Pakistan, the situation could escalate “significantly” and claimed that the country’s security “is robust and India has no justification” for not attending.
In the recent past, Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta claimed that the conflict between Pakistan and India was being played out in the media. He was of the view that if anyone believed that a ban had been imposed, they “were mistaken” as it had never seemed likely that India would visit the neighbouring country.
The decision was not solely in the hands of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, he claimed.
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With less than 100 days left until the event, the Champions Trophy matches are scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 19, 2025. But the final schedule has yet to be confirmed.
On the other hand, there has been no response from India regarding the hybrid model although host Pakistan is opposed to adopting it.
Naqvi told reporters on November 8 that their position was clear: if the Indian cricket board has any issues, it should communicate them in writing. He clarified that there has been no discussion regarding the hybrid model.
Meanwhile, a PCB spokesperson confirmed to AFP that India will not travel to Pakistan for the eight-team Champions Trophy starting in February.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board has received an email from the ICC (International Cricket Council), stating that the Indian board has informed them that their team will not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025,” Sami Ul Hasan said.
“The PCB has forwarded that email to the government of Pakistan for their advice and guidance,” Hasan added.
(With input from AFP)
