Pakistan Cricket Board, PC for short, has suggested that the Indian team may return to their country after each match to minimize their stay in Pakistan during the Champions Trophy 2025.
The board, due to security concerns, has recommended that the Men in Blue return to Chandigarh or New Delhi after each match in the mega tournament that is going to be hosted by Pakistan from February 19 to March 9, 2025.
This move is out of uncertainty over India’s participation in the tournament, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India seeks the Indian government’s approval for a visit to this country for the mega tournament.
This comes in the wake of the neighbouring country’s cricket team not having toured Pakistan since 2008. However, the two arch-rivals haven’t had any bilateral series since 2012-13.
Sponsored The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will see eight elite teams go head-to-head: India, Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, according to their performances against each other in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Three venues—Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore—will host the matches of eight teams. According to the proposed schedule sent by the PCB to the ICC, all of India’s matches are placed in Lahore. Concomitantly, all of India’s matches were to be held in the town of Lahore because it is so convenient and accessible, not only for the touring Indian team but also for its legion of fans.
There is also a ten-day gap between India’s second and third group matches, during which time the Indian team can choose to return to India for training or rest, while the PCB would try to facilitate seamless logistics.
The PCB communicated with the BCCI and made it crystal clear to them that this proposal for India to come back home between the matches was not driven by security concerns in any way. In fact, comfort was being provided to the Indian players.
