"Refusing ICC event can..." - Jay Shah sent huge warning from Rashid Latif over India's stance on Champions Trophy

Former cricketer Rashid Latif has claimed that the BCCI must give a solid and logical answer if they refuse to send team India to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy. 

Pakistan will be hosting the ICC Champions Trophy in the early months of 2025 and it will be for the first time in several decades that the nation has got the rights to host an ICC event. But there is, of course, a scare that the BCCI might refuse to send the Indian team to the event due to the complicated relationship between the 2 nations. 

Rashid Latif advises BCCI: Refuse to play bilateral series but don't snub an ICC event 

Rashid Latif had some good pieces of advice for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Latif claimed that the board can refuse to play a bilateral series, home or away against Pakistan but they cannot or should not snub an ICC event.

Rashid Latif feels that regardless of how powerful the BCCI might be, they will find it hard to go against the International Cricket Council. The former wicket-keeper batsman stated that the ICC before they gave Pakistan the hosting rights for the Champions Trophy, must have signed contracts with all the participating cricket boards. 

And in such a case, it's going to be quite difficult for BCCI to not send India for the 50-over event which last took place in 2017 in England. 

"You can refuse the bilateral series. But it will be tough to refuse ICC events. When ICC chalk out its plan, the teams know where they have to play, like Pakistan knew that they have to go to India to play the World Cup, and contracts are signed accordingly for cricket boards" Rashid Latif was quoted as saying by IANS. 

If the BCCI ultimately refuses to send the Indian team to the Champions Trophy, then it won't be anything new. The richest cricket board in the world, at will, had made the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) go for a Hybrid model when hosting the Asia Cup last year. 

In that model, India played all their group games in Sri Lanka. There was also an agreement that if India reached the finale, then Sri Lanka would host the final too and that's what exactly happened. 

Latif warns BCCI about backfire from ICC 

Rashid Latif concluded by stating that if the BCCI really snubs the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, then the ICC might take some action. And even if they refuse to send India, then they should provide a logical answer behind as to why they are refusing. 

"If India or Pakistan has signed in, they will have to go for that event. If any circumstances occur on a government level, then you have to provide a logical answer as to why not coming. You can refuse the bilateral series citing the conditions in Pakistan are not right etc etc... In my opinion, refusing an ICC event can backfire," Rashid Latif concluded.