The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly looking to seek assurance from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the latter's participation in the Champions Trophy 2025 in the upcoming ICC meeting in Dubai.
Pakistan is set to schedule the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in the February-March window. According to a report from the PTI, the newly-elected PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is planning to address the ICC Executive Board meeting next week in Dubai and is also meeting BCCI's general secretary Jay Shah on the sidelines.
However, the BCCI is not looking to make any commitments to travelling to Pakistan a year before the ICC tournament, the same report adds. The BCCI is expected to seek clearance from the central government of India before taking any steps.
"The biggest worry for the PCB is whether India will send its team to Pakistan and there is no repeat of last year’s Asia Cup issues," a PCB source was quoted saying by PTI. "This is an ICC event and Pakistan went last year to India for the World Cup. Naqvi will try to convince the ICC and BCCI that they need to confirm that India will be coming to Pakistan as early as possible as it will help promote the CT for them. Naqvi will try to assure the BCCI representatives that with elections (in Pakistan) completed and a new government in place, there will be no security or other concerns for them to play in Pakistan."
India last travelled to Pakistan in 2008 due to security concerns and political tensions between the two neighbours. Pakistan travelled to India in the ICC ODI World Cups in 2011 and 2023 and during the T20 World Cup in 2016.
Pakistan were selected to host the Asia Cup 2023 but were later forced to agree on a hybrid model, where Sri Lanka hosted the majority of the games, including the final.
