ICC Champions Trophy 2025: PCB accused of Politicising event; Hosting Rights at Stake

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has blasted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for attempting to take the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on a tour to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

He has claimed that this was no innocent error but a calculated move by Pakistan to legitimize the disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of their territory.

The controversy erupted when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced it would take the prestigious trophy tour to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after India refused to travel to Pakistan for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, leading to immediate backlash from the BCCI.

Aakash Chopra slams PCB's move to take ICC Champions Trophy 2025 to PoK, calls it a political agenda

The BCCI secretary, Jay Shah, has reportedly written to the International Cricket Council (ICC), expressing fury at Pakistan’s move, and it led the world’s governing body to order the PCB to cancel the tour in the controversial region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

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Aakash Chopra was also furious about the PCB’s move, questioning why Pakistan would choose PoK cities for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour when they have several prominent cities like Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi. He pointed out that Pakistan was attempting to push a political agenda by including PoK cities on the tour.

Chopra claimed that Pakistan was smartly trying to normalize and legitimize PoK as part of their territory, as a trophy tour could influence global recognition. He added that the PCB’s intent was clear: to establish a claim over the disputed region under the guise of sporting celebrations.

It wasn't a mistake by mistake: Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel, “Why do you do such things? This is a very genuine question. Many people were saying that what India is doing is wrong, that the Indian government should allow the team to go. There was a lot of outcry about this. Pakistan has many cities of its own, including Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Multan.”

The cricket pundit further added, “You can have the trophy tour there. However, they put one Pakistan city, and the rest of the names they put were occupied-Kashmir cities. What are you trying to do? Why did you decide to take it there? Because you want to legitimize that everything is yours, and then the world starts recognizing it. No, you don't do that. It wasn't a mistake by mistake.”

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Criticizing Pakistan’s decision to take the Champions Trophy to PoK, Aakash Chopra said that such actions validate India’s concerns over crossing the border for the tournament. Chopra highlighted two main issues: first, the security risks to Indian players due to past terror attacks sponsored by Pakistan, and second, Pakistan’s attempt to legitimize PoK through such actions.

Aakash Chopra says Pakistan's PoK trophy tour shows true intentions, India has the right to disagree

The commentator also said India has every right to not send the Men in Blue to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and disagree with the old foes’ intentions because of these two main reasons.

Chopra has pointed out that a dossier is being prepared that has the entire story of the last 15 years, which includes the terror attacks that have happened in Pakistan and how many Pakistan-sponsored attacks have happened in Kashmir.

Chopra signed off by saying, “We have been hurt quite badly. So, it's being said that all this is there and our players are going to be prime targets. So, we don't believe the Indian players should go there from a security perspective. Secondly, you need to hit them where it hurts the most."

"Indian diplomacy also understands that if you are trying to use this as a soft power, that you want to take the trophy on a tour of PoK, your purpose is to legitimize what you are doing. So, India has every right to say, 'Sorry boss, we do not agree one bit'.”