PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi want an assurance from BCCI on India’s participation in next year’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan during next week’s ICC Meeting in Dubai but is unlikely to make headway as of now.
ICC Executive board will meet in Dubai next week and Mohsin Naqvi plans to speak to the ICC as well as Indian board’s top Jay Shah on the sidelines but for a tournament schedule in February-March of 2025 as there is no way that BCCI will right away make any commitments of travelling to Pakistan with nearly one year left.
As Champions Trophy is an ICC tournament and with every other cricketing nation travelling to Pakistan, the BCCI will not entirely close its door but any clearance from the Government of India will not come at least weeks before the tournament commences.
The biggest worry for the PCB is whether India will send its team to Pakistan and there is no repeat of last year’s Asia Cup issues, citing the ‘Hybrid Model’ that was use in 2023.
In 2023, PCB was force to agree to a sharing formula under which it host four games of the Asia Cup and the rest were play in Sri Lanka since the BCCI made it clear that it cannot send its team to Pakistan because of non-clearance from its government.
Last time India tour Pakistan was back in 2008 when it play in the Asia Cup and since Pakistan has thrice to India for the ICC World Cup events in ODI World Cup 2011, T20 World Cup 2016 and ODI World Cup 2023.
As per source said Mohsin Naqvi will also brief the ICC board about the upgradation of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi and the Pakistan government’s stance on India playing in Pakistan.
As per BCCI source said :
"Playing in Pakistan is something that only Indian government can decide and BCCI will have to follow the government diktat. Also it is too early to even ask for government's permission and if their new chairman is expecting some kind of assurance in March 2024 for a tournament in Feb-March 2025, he is mistaken,".
