India will not travel to Pakistan for ICC Champions Trophy 2025: PCB

Pakistan Cricket Board seeks advice from its government after India’s refusal to cross the border is confirmed.

India’s cricket team will not travel to Pakistan for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed two days after its chairman said the host nation will not accept a “hybrid model” for hosting its cross-border rivals.

“The PCB has received an e-mail from the ICC, stating that the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed them that their team will not travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025,” a PCB spokesperson said on Sunday.

The PCB, which is set to host the tournament in February and March, has sought the “advice and guidance” of Pakistan’s government, the statement added.

The move comes two days after PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said the host nation will not stage any matches outside the country if India does not travel for the tournament.

“In the last two months, the Indian media has been reporting that India isn’t travelling. I discussed this with them and my team, and our stance is clear: They need to give us in writing any objections they may have,” Naqvi told reporters on Friday.

“Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one. Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here.

“I remain in touch with several boards, and they’re all looking forward to playing here. I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter. We’ll give every team as many facilities as we can. We’d like to see fans from abroad come for the tournament, too.”

For many years, India’s government has barred the national cricket team from travelling to Pakistan because of ongoing political tensions between the neighbours.

India has not visited Pakistan since 2008, and the rivals play each other only at multi-team events.

They last played a bilateral series in December 2012 and January 2013 when Pakistan toured India for a white ball series. India last visited Pakistan for a bilateral commitment in early 2006.

Pakistan travelled to India for the ICC Cricket World Cup in October and November 2023 and played all its matches in the host nation.

A PCB source told Al Jazeera in July that all countries except for India were “supportive and encouraging” of Pakistan hosting the tournament.

“The PCB chairman met heads of cricket boards in Barbados before the T20 World Cup final and discussed Pakistan’s preparations to host next year’s ICC Champions Trophy,” the source said.

“Six of the seven countries have been supportive and encouraging because their teams have been to Pakistan, and they have had firsthand information about what the country has delivered and the lengths it has gone to deliver them.

“The boards have also had the feedback from the players who have come here for international cricket and to play in the Pakistan Super League.”

Pakistan won the last Champions Trophy in 2017 when they beat their bitter rivals in the final in London, United Kingdom.

The Champions Trophy 2025 will be the first ICC event hosted by Pakistan since it shared the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.

Pakistan also hosted the Asia Cup last year, but the winner, India, played all their matches in Sri Lanka under a “hybrid model”.

At the time, India said they had not received permission from their government to tour Pakistan.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies