- The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry wants to hold matches in Dubai instead of Lahore.
- The source says that India will stand firm on its position.
- There were hopes of India coming to Pakistan earlier.
In a major setback for cricket, India has decided to stick to its decision not to send its team to Pakistan to participate in next year’s Champions Trophy, Indian media reported on Friday.
Sources familiar with the matter told… Indian Express The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of its security concerns and requested that its matches be held in Dubai instead of Lahore.
A source said: “The BCCI has expressed its concerns about the Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan. They want the matches to be played at a neutral venue, and Dubai is the strong candidate to host the matches involving the Men in Blue team.” Times of India.
Meanwhile, another source reported to… Indian Express This has been the position of the BCCI for a long time and there is no reason to change that.
“We wrote to them and asked them to move our games to Dubai,” the source added.
Reacting to the development, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi told India not to expect good gestures from Islamabad after New Delhi rejected the idea of traveling to Lahore for the Champions Trophy.
Naqvi, who is also Interior Minister, told reporters in Lahore: “In recent years, Pakistan has shown a lot of good gestures. However, we hope that we will not be expected to always show good gestures.”
Naqvi said that over the past two months, there were reports from the Indian media regarding the team not traveling to Pakistan.
“We still want cricket to be separate from politics.”
He pointed out that cricket’s governing body had not received any “letter” from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). “We have clearly mentioned that they (Indian Cricket Board) should give it to us in writing if they have any issues,” he added.
Moreover, he said that he would consult the federal government if the BCCI officially refused to send its team to Pakistan.
“I will consult the government if the BCCI confirms that the Indian team will not travel to Pakistan in writing. After that, we will abide by whatever decision the Pakistani government takes,” Naqvi declared.
Naqvi also said that they will continue preparations for the Champions Trophy, expressing hope that it will be a successful event.
He pointed out that stadium development work and preparations for the tournament will proceed according to schedule.
Pakistan is determined to hold the 2025 Champions Trophy entirely in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9 in three cities – Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
To address logistical and security concerns, it has proposed that all India’s matches be held in Lahore, close to the Wagah border, to simplify arrangements.
Pakistan is determined to hold the 2025 Champions Trophy entirely in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9 in three cities – Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
To address logistical and security concerns, it has proposed that all India’s matches be held in Lahore, close to the Wagah border, to simplify arrangements.
India has not played an international match in Pakistan since 2008. Last year, BCCI refused to send a team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, leading to a mixed format with later stages being played in Sri Lanka.
However, Pakistan visited India soon after for the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they failed to reach the semi-finals.
This disturbing development comes during his visit to Islamabad on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in October, where Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar discussed the possibility of the Indian cricket team coming to Pakistan to participate in the tournament. Media reports added that the International Criminal Court event.
After the meeting, hopes were high about cricket returning to normal as this was the first direct conversation at this level since 2015 between countries with a bitter past.
After this cordial encounter, a thaw in relations seemed possible, sparking speculation about a resumption of ties in cricket.