ICC in shock as India's threat for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 leaves PCB unmoved

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has surprised the ICC with their confidence regarding hosting the ICC Champions Trophy next year with India unlikely to participate in the tournament. The tournament will be played from February 19 and conclude with the final in Lahore on March 9. The final will have a reserve day – March 10.

Pakistan along with England, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and India are the teams eligible to play in the tournament. There are reports that if India pulls out of the tournament Sri Lanka will replace them.

Meanwhile, the ICC is surprised that with the BCCI's likeliness to pull out of the tournament, There is no contingency plan ready from the PCB. The Pakistan cricket board has no alternative options ready in terms of venues if India eventually pulls out from traveling to Pakistan.

Asper reports the ICC had options such as UAE or Sri Lanka as possible alternate venues however, nothing official can be said about that yet. No discussion has been made with the respective boards as yet. The BCCI has always maintained that playing cricket in Pakistan is completely a government call and they will follow the orders accordingly.

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India Unlikely To Travel To Pakistan For ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Meanwhile, the PCB has questioned India's reluctance to travel to Pakistan to play in the tournament saying that if other teams have no problems India should not have any problems as well. In the process, they have been firm on their perspective of being the official hosts of the tournament.

PCB's firm stance on the matter is also lessening the chances of the tournament being played in the hybrid model. Alternate venues such as UAE or Sri Lankan Cricket Boards have not been given any intimation as of now officially.

Any last-minute preparation can lead to discrepancies for which the PCB might have to be ready to even lose the hosting rights. Meanwhile, PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi has given a stern warning to the ICC that Pakistan will be the sole host of the Champions Trophy 2025 and that they are against the idea of playing the tournament in the hybrid model.

Previously it was reported that the BCCI had requested the ICC to chalk out a hybrid model plan for the tournament. This was the agenda of the meeting which was held in Colombo between July 19 and 22 in Colombo.

"If the Indian government declines permission, it has to be in writing, and it is mandatory for the BCCI to provide that letter to the ICC now. It is a fact that we are insistent that the BCCI must inform the ICC about its travel plans to Pakistan at least 5-6 months before the tournament and in writing," A PCB source said in the meeting held in Colombo.

Though nothing conclusive resulted from the meeting, BCCI's chance to send the Indian team to Pakistan to play in the tournament looks very slim. If BCCI sources are to be believed, at this point, there is no chance of traveling to Pakistan and the ICC has allocated an additional budget for any exigency plan.

"The ICC Management is recommending additional costs just in case it is necessary to play some matches outside Pakistan if such a situation arises later on," a source was quoted as saying by PTI.

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