Report: The ICC would unlikely force India to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 hosting rights continue with Pakistan. But given the poor political relationship between India and Pakistan, the men in blue are unlikely to cross the border, and the ICC will reportedly follow India’s choice.
The Champions Trophy will return in 2025 after a long gap. Currently, the hosting rights remain with Pakistan. While the competition isn’t coming until next year, buzz over the smooth execution of the tournament has already grabbed cricket fans in Asia.
The notion of India potentially pulling out of the ICC tournament owing to unique political conditions has been swirling around on social media for a long time now. Notably, bilateral connections between India and Pakistan have ceased to exist for a decade now after political tensions heated up between the two adjacent countries.
India and Pakistan’s cricket team’s clashes are limited to mega-ICC events. The duo last participated in the ODI World Cup, held in India. While Pakistan was allowed to travel to India for the 50-over World Cup, the Indian government is unlikely to provide clearance for the men in blue to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
Moreover, an anonymous ICC administrator purportedly told PTI that the ICC would not force India to cross the border for the Champions Trophy if the government intervened. The apex body would search for alternate locations for India and transform the CT 2025 event into a hybrid model, as the board does not encourage its member nations to flout their government mandates.
By the early face of it, the Indian cricket team is unlikely to gain permission from the government authorities to fly out to Pakistan due to obvious security issues. The squad last went to Pakistan in 2008, and following the 26/11 terrorist assault in Mumbai, the sporting contacts between India and Pakistan have been completely cut off.
That being said, if CT 2025 does turn into a hybrid model, India’s game could likely be transferred to the UAE.
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