The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to meet this week to decide the future of next year’s Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, following India’s refusal to play in the host country, an ICC spokesperson shared on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, the ICC informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that India would not travel to Pakistan for the eight-team tournament, leaving the event’s future uncertain.
The tension between India and Pakistan, nuclear-armed neighbors with a history of three wars since the subcontinent’s partition in 1947, often spills onto the cricket field.
An ICC spokesperson in Dubai confirmed to AFP that “an ICC meeting is scheduled for Friday,” where this issue will be discussed. However, no further details were provided.
The PCB has firmly rejected suggestions for India to play in a neutral venue, insisting that the entire schedule, from February 19 to March 9, must take place in Pakistan.
So far, India’s cricket board has not commented on the situation.
India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series in over a decade due to strained political relations, only facing off during ICC tournaments.
Pakistan faced years without international cricket at home after a 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, but international matches fully resumed in 2020. Despite concerns, Pakistan has successfully hosted major teams like Australia, England, and South Africa in recent years.
Last year’s Asia Cup, hosted by Pakistan, saw India’s matches played outside the country. However, PCB officials have dismissed security concerns for the Champions Trophy, emphasizing Pakistan’s capability to host top-level cricket.
The Champions Trophy 2025 will be the first ICC event hosted in Pakistan since it co-hosted the 1996 Cricket World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.
