ICC Confident Of Teams Travelling To Pakistan For 2025 Champions Trophy: Greg Barclay

International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Greg Barclay is confident of all teams travelling to Pakistan for ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Pakistan, the defending champions of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, was named the host for the next edition in 2025.

This would be the first major cricket event the Asian nation would be hosting since they jointly hosted the World Cup in 1996 alongside India and Sri Lanka.

ICC cricket event is coming back to Pakistan after many years: Greg Barclay

Despite Indian Sports Minister Anurag Thakur raising its concern over allowing the Indian team to travel to its political rival for the Champions Trophy, ICC believes all teams will travel for the event to Pakistan.

“The answer is, from what we can see so far, absolutely (teams will travel). So, we wouldn’t have awarded the event if we didn’t think Pakistan was capable of hosting it,” ICC chairman Greg Barclay said during a media roundtable.

“ICC cricket event is coming back to Pakistan after many years. All of it with the exception of what happened in the last few weeks has gone ahead without any issues at all,” added Barclay.

I’m sure that they will: Greg Barclay on Pakistan’s security measures 

Pakistan didn’t host a match for a decade in the aftermath of the bomb attacks against the Sri Lankan team in 2009.

Recently New Zealand and England teams pulled out of the limited-overs tour of Pakistan, where the New Zealand government asked its players to come back on the very day of the first ODI match citing security concerns.

Barclay said they were confident about Pakistan doing their best for fielding its security forces for the Champions Trophy.

“We think it’s an exciting opportunity, a prospect for them to be able to host a world’s event for the first time for a period of quite a period of time,” Barclay commented.

“It’s not until 2025 and I’m sure that they will, as all countries are required to do, put together the appropriate security plans and assurances to ensure that they can be delivered. So yes, we were comfortable and confident that we’ll go ahead,” he added.

Pakistan defeated arch-rivals India in the final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy in London.

Also Read: Former Pakistan Players React After Pakistan Were Named Hosts For ICC Champions Trophy 2025