PCB Urges ICC For Compensation If India Decide Not To Travel To Pakistan For Champions Trophy - Reports

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to sign hosting rights agreements for the Champions Trophy 2025. The PCB asked the ICC to ensure full compensation for financial losses if India refused to travel to Pakistan for the event.

Pakistan has been awarded the hosting rights for the Champions Trophy in 2025, with formal agreements anticipated to be signed shortly. The marquee tournament will comprise the top eight teams from the ICC World Cup 2023 points table, including hosts Pakistan.

As per the PTI report, the ICC has designated Pakistan as the host for the Champions Trophy in 2025, but the hosting agreement has yet to be signed. PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf and COO Salman Naseer held discussions with the ICC executive board in Ahmedabad.

ICC Must Avoid Taking Unilateral Decisions

The Pakistani officials discussed the tournament’s hosting in February-March 2025. The report mentioned that the PCB emphasized the potential refusal by the BCCI to send its team to Pakistan and urged the ICC to avoid making unilateral decisions in such a scenario.

“Pakistani officials discussed the probability of the Indian board (BCCI) again refusing to send its team to Pakistan and made it clear that in any given situation the ICC must avoid taking unilateral decisions on the tournament,” the source said, as quoted by PTI.

The ICC Must Compensate the PCB

The PCB has informed the ICC that if India refuse to play in Pakistan due to security concerns, an independent security agency should be appointed by the global body to assess the situation. The PCB insisted that if India’s matches are relocated, the ICC must compensate Pakistan.

The agency could collaborate with the Pakistani government and security officials to evaluate the security conditions for all participating teams, including India. The PCB emphasized that several top teams have toured Pakistan in the past two years without security concerns.

“The PCB officials said many top teams had toured Pakistan in the last two years without any security concerns. They also made it clear that in case of India not sending its team and its matches being moved to another country, then the ICC must compensate Pakistan for this,” the source added.

India’s Participation Will Be Decided By Government

During the ICC meeting, Zaka Ashraf and Salman Naseer asserted that Pakistan would not relinquish its hosting rights. The BCCI representative clarified that the decision on India playing in Pakistan would be determined by the Indian government.

“The BCCI representative maintained that any call on India playing in Pakistan in 2025 would only be taken by their government and they were bound to follow the decision,” the source further added.

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