Pakistan determined to host full ICC Champions Trophy despite India impasse

PCB main says helium volition ‘make the champion determination for Pakistan’ astatine the ICC committee gathering connected November 29 to determine the tournament’s fate.

Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) president Mohsin Naqvi says helium volition “make the champion determination for Pakistan” astatine the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) committee meeting, which is expected to marque a last telephone connected the hosting rights for the Champions Trophy 2025.

Pakistan is acceptable to big the eight-team men’s cricket tourney from February 19 to March 9, but India’s refusal to question crossed the borderline has thrown the competition’s logistics into disarray.

Naqvi has remained adamant that the PCB volition not judge a “hybrid” model, wherein each fixtures involving India are played astatine a neutral venue, insisting that the afloat tourney indispensable beryllium played successful Pakistan.

“The Champions Trophy volition beryllium held successful Pakistan,” the PCB main told reporters astatine the Gaddafi Stadium successful Lahore connected Wednesday.

“Our stance remains the same: a hybrid exemplary volition not beryllium accepted and we’ll bash immoderate is successful the champion involvement of Pakistan,” helium said.

Earlier this month, the Board of Control for Cricket successful India (BCCI) informed the ICC that its squad volition not question to Pakistan upon the instructions of its government.

For galore years, India’s authorities has barred the nationalist cricket squad from travelling to Pakistan due to the fact that of ongoing governmental tensions betwixt the neighbours.

India has not visited Pakistan since 2008, and the rivals play each different lone astatine multi-team events.

The impasse has led to a conundrum for cricket’s governing body, which volition present telephone upon each committee members to resoluteness the contented astatine a gathering connected Friday.

The ICC is expected to contiguous the PCB with the enactment of hosting India’s matches successful the United Arab Emirates (UAE) oregon different neutral venue, but Naqvi said Pakistan “will not merchantability out” and hold to monetary compensation successful instrumentality for accepting a hybrid model.

“How tin it beryllium [fair] that we ever spell to India to play cricket but [they] don’t travel to Pakistan?” helium said.

“Whatever happens indispensable beryllium connected adjacent presumption and we person made our stance precise wide to the ICC.”

The PCB earlier wrote to the ICC, asking for a transcript of the BCCI’s concerns astir travelling to Pakistan.

It has besides sought proposal from Pakistan’s authorities connected tackling the issue, and Mohsin said the committee volition bash “whatever the authorities says”.

The Champions Trophy volition beryllium Pakistan’s archetypal nonrecreational men’s ICC tourney since 1996, erstwhile it co-hosted the World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.

Pakistan hosted the six-team Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) Asia Cup successful 2023, but India’s matches were played successful Sri Lanka aft their authorities did not let the squad to question to Pakistan.