November 30, 2024 - The Indian government yesterday reiterated the decision to not send Team India to Pakistan for the ICC ODI Champions Trophy cricket tournament, scheduled to be held from February 19, 2025. The Ministry of Home Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said this yesterday adding that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued a statement citing security concerns in Pakistan.

“The BCCI has issued a statement. They have said that there are security concerns and therefore, it is unlikely that the team will be going there,” Jaiswal said.

According to sources, the government has told the BCCI that if Pakistan refuses to host the tournament, India will offer to host it instead.

The BCCI had earlier suggested a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy but Pakistan rejected the proposal. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has also been trying to push for a hybrid model to allow India to play its games in Dubai, UAE. But Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has adamantly been against it. A virtual meeting of the 12 members of the ICC was held yesterday to resolve the issue but it ended without any solution. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was part of this meeting.

Sources, however, say the PCB has asked for another day while it discusses this proposal with its government. ICC will meet again today to continue to resolve this impasse.

Meanwhile, because of this deadlock the match schedule which was to be released on November 11 has been delayed.

While the suspense over the Champions Trophy continues, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has come out in support of PCB’s stand and lashed out at BCCI. In a post on X, he said:

“By intertwining politics with sports, the BCCI has placed international cricket in a precarious position. Fully support the PCB’s stance against the hybrid model - especially since Pakistan (despite security concerns) has toured India five times including a bilateral white-ball series, post 26/11. It’s time for the ICC and its Board of Directors to uphold fairness and assert their authority.”

With Media Inputs