Pakistan securing hosting rights for the 2025 Champions Trophy is recognition of their efforts to convince international teams to return to the country for cricket, board chief Ramiz Raja said on Wednesday.
The 50-over tournament will be the first International Cricket Council (ICC) event hosted by Pakistan since it shared the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.
The ICC announcement on Tuesday came as a big boost to Pakistan after England and New Zealand pulled out of their tours of the country in September.
"I think we had a very strong narrative. We spoke the truth. We spoke from the heart," former Pakistan captain Ramiz said about his pitch at the ICC board meeting in Dubai.
"It was more of an emotional turbulence we had to face, and so I thought the world understood our hurt. Here was a cricketer talking about the game and not as an administrator as such.
Pakistan to host ICC Champions Trophy 2025, will defend title at home
"I thought the world listened quite well and eventually better sense prevailed. The world has also realised that we have put in a lot of effort to get where we have gotten to, and that Pakistan cannot be ignored ... and that it needs the break."
International teams have largely refused to tour Pakistan since an attack by militants on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009 that killed six policemen and two civilians.
There were fears the decisions of New Zealand and England will again dampen the prospects of international cricket in Pakistan.
But in improving signs, Australia this month confirmed they will tour Pakistan next year for the first time since 1998 to play three tests, three one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match.
Ramiz was not concerned about the participation of India in the Champions Trophy either. India last hosted Pakistan in a bilateral series in 2013, and the neighbours now meet only in global tournaments.
The Indian cricket board is headed by a former cricketer in Sourav Ganguly and Ramiz said they shared a working relationship and spoke about cricket matters during the ICC meeting in Dubai.
"It is hard to get a bilateral series with India but we can see about a tri-nation series at some point," Ramiz said. "It won't be easy and as long as there are political hurdles involved, things won't move forward."
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