According to Indian media on Friday, the Indian government has made the decision to stick with its decision not to send its squad to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy next year, which is a significant blow for cricket.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its security concerns to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and asked that its matches be played in Dubai rather than Lahore, according to people acquainted with the situation who spoke to the Indian Express.
Concerns surrounding Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan have been expressed by the BCCI. The Times of India was informed by a source that Dubai is a strong contender to host the Men in Blue’s matches since they want to play at a neutral location.
Another source told the Indian Express that this had been the BCCI’s long-standing position and that there was no need to modify it.
“We’ve contacted to them and asked them to move our games to Dubai,” the person said.
Pakistan is set to host the full 2025 Champions Trophy from February 19 to March 9 in three cities: Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.
In order to solve logistical and security issues, it proposed holding all of India’s matches in Lahore, near the Wagah border, to make arrangements easier.
India hasn’t played an international match in Pakistan since 2008. Last year, the BCCI rejected to send its squad to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, resulting in a hybrid format with subsequent stages conducted in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan, on the other hand, returned to India shortly after for the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they were unable to get past the quarterfinals.
