Team India’s participation in the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled for next year in Pakistan, is under a cloud. According to sources within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the team might not travel to Pakistan for the tournament. This throws a wrench into Pakistan’s plans to host a major international cricket event for the first time since the 1996 World Cup.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi had offered a bilateral series with India as an incentive for their participation in the Champions Trophy. However, the BCCI has shut down talks for the bilateral series and indicated potential hesitation to send a team for the ICC event itself.
Security concerns seem to be a major factor. The BCCI source stated that government permission would be required for the team to travel to Pakistan, and current political relations between the two nations are strained.
“Forget bilateral series…Team India may not even travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. There might be a change of venue, a hybrid model is also possible,” a BCCI source said.
“The Indian board would need permission from the government for travel, currently our relations with Pakistan are not that good either,” the source added.
“Champions Trophy is an ICC event, so it would be a tough call for India but nothing without the government’s order/green signal. Bilateral series, I don’t see in the near future, that’s next to impossible.”
This isn’t the first time India’s travel to Pakistan has been a point of contention. The BCCI’s influence led to a hybrid model for the 2023 Asia Cup, with most matches played in Sri Lanka.
The ICC Champions Trophy being an ICC event doesn’t guarantee India’s participation without government approval. If India does choose not to travel, the Champions Trophy venue may be relocated or a hybrid model implemented again. This would be a blow to Pakistan’s cricketing ambitions and could further complicate future bilateral series between the two powerhouses of cricket.
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