PAK To Adopt A Harsh Stance Against India After They Refuse To Participate in CT25

The BCCI has officially confirmed that India will not travel to Pakistan to participate in Champions Trophy 2025. 

“The PCB has received an email from the ICC, stating that the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed them that their team will not travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025,” a PCB spokesperson said on Sunday.

Months long rumor cycle was put to an end after the BCCI officially announced their team’s decision. 

Multiple sources had speculated that the Indian government was never in favor of India traveling to Pakistan, but the Pakistan Cricket Board was still hoping against the odds.

The ICC proposed to hold the tournament in a hybrid model in case India doesn’t want to travel to Pakistan, but the PCB stated that the host nation will not accept a “hybrid model” for hosting its neighboring arch-rivals.

Moreover, the Pakistan Cricket Board is now seeking the federal government’s advice and guidance regarding what to do. 

“In the last two months, the Indian media has been reporting that India isn’t traveling. I discussed this with them and my team, and our stance is clear: They need to give us in writing any objections they may have,” Naqvi told reporters on Friday.

According to the Chairman PCB, they have not yet discussed the possibility of a hybrid model for the tournament as they are whole-heartedly looking forward to hosting the entire tournament themselves. 

Additionally, no other team has expressed any issues in traveling to Pakistan. 

As far as India’s stance is concerned, the Indian government has refused their team from traveling to Pakistan due to ongoing political tensions between the two neighbors. 

For years this has barred the Indian team from traveling to Pakistan and the scheduling of a bilateral series between the two countries. 

India has not visited Pakistan since 2008, and the rivals play each other only at multi-team events.

Unlike India, Pakistan has traveled to India to participate in all the ICC events with the latest event being ODI World Cup 2023. 

But things may change now as the Pakistan government is now thinking of adopting a tit-for-tat stance against India. If India refuses to travel to Pakistan then the Men in Green will not play India in any international tournament. 

Sources added that Pakistan’s government is fully aware of the development and is ready to adopt a tough policy. “We will not participate in any event against India unless they agree to play in Pakistan.”

The ICC Champions Trophy is scheduled to take place in Pakistan in February-March next year, and the PCB has already clarified it will not accept a hybrid format for hosting the event.