Photo Credit: Instagram Photo of @icctrophytour
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to meet this week to decide the fate of next year’s Champions Trophy after India refused to participate in the tournament if hosted in Pakistan, an ICC spokesperson confirmed, according to Al-Jazeera.
Earlier this month, the ICC informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that India would not travel to Pakistan for the eight-team event, putting the tournament’s future in doubt.
India and Pakistan, nuclear-armed neighbors, have fought three wars since their partition in 1947, with their rivalry often spilling onto the cricket field.
An ICC spokesperson in Dubai said on Tuesday, “We can confirm an ICC meeting on Friday” where the issue will be discussed, without providing additional details.
The PCB has rejected suggestions for India to play in a neutral venue, insisting that the tournament, scheduled from February 19 to March 9, must take place entirely in Pakistan.
India’s cricket board has not commented on the matter.
India has not toured Pakistan since 2008, with political tensions limiting their meetings to multiteam ICC events. Pakistan, however, traveled to India for the ICC Cricket World Cup in October and November 2023, playing all its matches there.
Pakistan endured years without hosting international cricket after a 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore. Full international play only resumed in 2020.
During the 2023 Asia Cup, India’s matches were played outside Pakistan due to similar disputes.
The PCB has dismissed security concerns regarding the Champions Trophy, citing successful recent series against teams like Australia, England, and South Africa.
The Champions Trophy would mark the first ICC event held in Pakistan since it co-hosted the 1996 World Cup. Pakistan, the defending Champions Trophy holders, last won the title in 2017.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
