According to the Asian News International agency, the BCCI is unlikely to send an India team to Pakistan for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
The ANI report cites a BCCI source claiming that India would not be travelling to Pakistan as part of their long-standing stance to not tour the country. The report further states that the BCCI will ask the ICC to move the matches to Dubai (UAE) or Sri Lanka.
The report follows speculation over a proposed Champions Trophy schedule where India, slotted alongside Pakistan in Group A, is scheduled to play all its matches in Lahore.
Indian Cricket team is unlikely to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. BCCI will ask ICC to host matches in Dubai or Sri Lanka: BCCI sources to ANI pic.twitter.com/o7INJKhk1E
— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2024
Pakistan were announced as tournament hosts back in 2021, during the ongoing men's T20 World Cup. In April, there were reports that the three proposed venues are Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
In 2023, India had refused to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, with ACC president Jay Shah, also the BCCI secretary, confirming in 2022 that a neutral venue will have to be chosen. Consequently, a hybrid system was followed, with matches held in both Pakistan and Sri Lanka. India won the tournament.
Later in 2023, there was speculation over Pakistan's visit to India for the ODI World Cup, but the PCB eventually did send a team to play their matches in specific venues.
The PCB had confirmed India as one of the participating teams during a recent release that mentioned the proposed dates of the Champions Trophy to be February 19 to March 9.
India last played a match in Pakistan back in 2008. Following the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team bus, there was a long period where Pakistan did not host any international cricket. However, since 2015, every Test playing nation barring India and Ireland has played a series in Pakistan.
It's also interesting to note that India have hired a new head coach Gautam Gambhir who has, in the past, has vocally supported India's stance against Pakistan. Gambhir cited India's political stance towards Pakistan, most famously in 2019, when he opined that India should forfeit their match against Pakistan.
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