The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to sign a deal with it for hosting rights for the Champions Trophy 2025 and also stressed that India will not be able to travel to the country citing political and security reasons. If the PCB refuses to do so, it should be compensated.
A PCB source said that the ICC has selected Pakistan as the host of the tournament, but it has not yet signed the hosting agreement with it. PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf and chief operating officer (COO) Salman Naseer met the ICC Executive Board in Ahmedabad to discuss hosting the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in February-March in 2025.
PCB fears BCCI will send team
“Pakistani officials discussed the possibility of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) again refusing to send its team to Pakistan and made it clear that under no circumstances should the ICC take a unilateral decision on the tournament,” the source said. This source said PCB officials had told the ICC that if India refused to play in Pakistan due to security reasons, the world body should appoint an independent security agency.
PCB recommends compensation to ICC
The PCB said the agency may liaise with the Pakistan government and security officials to assess the security situation of other participating teams apart from India. The source said, ‘He also made it clear that if India does not send its team for the tournament and its matches are held in another country, then the ICC will have to compensate Pakistan for this.’
India did not go to Pakistan to play Asia Cup
He said PCB officials were clear that given the relations between the governments of Pakistan and India, there was a high possibility that India would again withdraw from playing in their country due to security and political reasons. India had refused to play in Pakistan in the jointly hosted Asia Cup in August-September this year. The Indian team played all its matches in Sri Lanka, including the final match. The source said Ashraf and Naseer were clear in the ICC meeting that Pakistan would not give up its hosting rights.
