ICC Champions Trophy 2025: India's visit comes calling from Pakistan as legend is forced to beg BCCI

Cricket legend Zaheer Abbas opened up about the India team's visit to Pakistan for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Zaheer Abbas stated that the Indian team's visit to Pakistan would take cricket forward in Pakistan and added that it would promote cricket in the subcontinent.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hasn't decided whether to visit Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled for February next year.

The coming months will decide if Team India will travel to Pakistan or adopt a hybrid model for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where their matches might be played outside Pakistan.

The Indian Team Should Tour Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025- Zaheer Abbas

At the 'Cricket Predicta Conclave' held at the Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel, Zaheer Abbas emphasized that cricketing relations should be improved between India and Pakistan. Abbas added that the Indian team's tour to Pakistan would help the sport grow in the subcontinent.

"The Indian team should tour Pakistan, as it will promote cricket in the subcontinent, especially in Pakistan," news agency ANI quoted Abbas as saying.

"They (Indian team) is a great ambassador of cricket. If they come and play in Pakistan, it will take cricket forward in our country," he added.

India And Pakistan At Loggerheads

India hasn't played an international match in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup. The last bilateral series between the two teams was played in India in the 2012-13 season.

However, India and Pakistan have faced each other in multi-national tournaments like the World Cup, Asia Cup, and Champions Trophy.

Players Are Only Focused On Making Money - Zaheer Abbas

Zaheer Abbas also opined about the recent decline of the Pakistan national cricket team, particularly in Test matches. Abbas blamed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its players.

The 77-year-old said that the overwhelming focus on T20 cricket has caused poor performance in longer formats. Abbas pointed out that so much money in T20 cricket has shifted players' priorities towards financial gain rather than the sport itself.

"There's too much T20 cricket being played in Pakistan, and because of that, our players have forgotten the essence of Test cricket. This is why we're not performing well in the longer format. So much money has come into cricket that the players today are only focused on making money, and their attention is diverted from the game itself," Abbas said.

"It is the misfortune of Pakistan cricket that those who run it do not understand cricket. We took Pakistan cricket to great heights. The world admired our cricket. But today, those in charge are only concerned with their own interests, not with cricket or the players," he added.

Pakistan is currently going through the most difficult period. The Men in Green failed to reach the semifinals of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

They then faced a whitewash in a three-match Test series against Australia. The Men in Green also lost to the USA in the 2024 T20 World Cup, failing to advance to the Super 8s.

Also read: Rohit Sharma teases Axar Patel with “Helicopter ghuma na” after failing to imitate MS Dhoni's signature shot