India will not travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy: PCB

KARACHI: India will not travel to Pakistan for the eight-team Champions Trophy starting in February, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Sunday.

Deteriorating political relations, tense at the best of times, have meant the bitter rivals have not played a bilateral series for over a decade – with India last touring Pakistan for the Asia Cup in 2008.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board has received an email from the ICC (International Cricket Council), stating that the Indian board has informed them that their team will not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025,” PCB spokesman Sami Ul Hasan told AFP.

“The PCB has forwarded that email to the government of Pakistan for their advice and guidance,” Hasan added.

Pakistan is due to host the eight-nation event in three cities – Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi – from February 19 to March 9 next year but the final schedule was hanging in the balance with India yet to confirm its participation.

PCB chairman Moshin Naqvi had previously ruled out the possibility of a hybrid event that would have seen India play all its matches on neutral venues in the United Arab Emirates.

“Pakistan has shown great gestures to India in the past, and we’d like to say clearly India shouldn’t expect such friendly gestures from us every time,” Naqvi said in Lahore on Saturday.

“The government will decide if Pakistan travel for any future event in India if they don’t come to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.

“The PCB will not decide that.”

The ICC was set to release the Champions Trophy schedule this week, but the latest stand-off will likely delay that announcement.

Contingencies available if India don’t travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy, say ECB chiefs

Bitter rivalry

The Champions Trophy is the premier ODI competition after the World Cup, with the upcoming event featuring Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa.

Monday marks the 100-day countdown to the event.

Any cricket match between the two is among the most watched events on the global sporting calendar.

Pakistan visited India for last year’s ODI World Cup and the PCB expected the gesture to be reciprocated for the Champion’s trophy.

Pakistan was forced to stage last year’s Asia Cup using a hybrid model with India playing their matches in addition to the final in Sri Lanka.

India and Pakistan have only faced off in ICC multi-nation events since their last bilateral series in the 2012-13 season.