Recently a meeting was held by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Dubai to discuss arrangements and security for the Champions Trophy 2025, as well as India’s potential travel to Pakistan.
All participating countries except India have confirmed their travel to Pakistan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stated that they need government approval before confirming India’s participation.
According to Cricket Pakistan the meeting went well for Pakistan, as no countries raised any concerns about traveling there. The feedback was positive and is now officially recorded.
This leaves India with fewer reasons to decline participation. Although India tried to persuade its allies, it was not successful. In 2023 India managed to arrange a hybrid model for the Asia Cup which was initially scheduled for Pakistan.
Due to security concerns, India’s matches, including the final were held in Sri Lanka, where India won by defeating Sri Lanka in the final. A similar model may be considered for the Champions Trophy.
Recently, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Pakistan for the SCO summit and praised the hospitality, which could make it harder for India to refuse travel to Pakistan.
While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is confident about hosting the entire tournament, the ICC is concerned about BCCI’s potential refusal to participate. This is one reason the tournament’s final schedule has not yet been released.
According to the draft the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be held from February 19 to March 9 in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi – making it the first ICC event in Pakistan since the 1996 ODI World Cup.
India’s last visit to Pakistan was in 2008 for the Asia Cup, where they finished as runners-up. The two countries only meet in ICC or Asia Cup tournaments due to political tensions.
Their last bilateral series was in 2013 when Pakistan toured India for a T20I and ODI series. Although India has often declined traveling to Pakistan, Pakistan recently visited India for the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they fell short of reaching the semifinals.
