New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not received any official proposal from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding Champions Trophy 2025. This has been claimed in the report. It is not decided yet whether India will play in this tournament or not. The Indian government has not yet given permission to go to Pakistan. Some reports have claimed that PCB has made a plan under which the Indian team can go back to Delhi or Chandigarh after every match. This is being done keeping security reasons in mind.
BCCI did not receive the proposal
Meanwhile, Dainik Jagran’s report quoted a BCCI official as saying that they have not yet received any such proposal from the PCB. The decision whether India will play in this tournament or not is entirely the decision of the Government of India. There has been no bilateral series between India and Pakistan for more than 10 years. Both the countries face each other only during international tournaments. India’s participation in the Champions Trophy is doubtful while Pakistan came to India for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
The Pakistan Cricket Board is mentally prepared that India should not come to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. But, according to sources, even if India reaches the final, PCB will not shift the final from Lahore to anywhere else.
Pakistan wants the final to be held in Lahore only
An official of the Pakistan Cricket Board said, ‘PCB’s first choice and priority is to conduct the entire Champions Trophy in Pakistan and they are counting on this. But internally the board is also ready that the Indian government should not allow its team to play in Pakistan and India’s matches should be held in UAE. But, PCB has decided that even if India does not play in Pakistan, they still want the final to be held in Lahore. Even if India reaches the final, PCB wants ICC to hold the match at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore only.
Bilateral cricket relations between India and Pakistan have been at a standstill since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which killed 175 people and injured nearly 300. BCCI can request ICC to conduct the tournament in a hybrid model and like the Asia Cup last year, their matches should be held in Sri Lanka or Dubai. The 1996 World Cup final was held in Gaddafi Stadium. The seating capacity of this stadium is being increased.