The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stated that the Indian government will make the final decision on whether the national cricket team will travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy next year. Pakistan is scheduled to host the prestigious ICC ODI tournament from February 19 to March 9, 2025.
“No decision has been taken (yet). But our policy is that for international tours, we always seek the permission of the government. It’s up to the government to decide whether our team should go to any country or our team should not go to any country,” BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla told reporters in Kanpur.
“In this case (also), whatever the government will decide, we will abide by that,” he added.
Shukla was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the ongoing second Test between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur.
India and Pakistan only play each other in ICC events. India has not travelled to Pakistan for bilateral cricket since 2008 due to the Mumbai terror attacks in which over 150 people were killed. Pakistan was in India for the ODI World Cup last year after a gap of seven years.
The Indian government’s decision on whether to allow the team to travel to Pakistan will be based on a number of factors, including the security situation in Pakistan and the political relations between the two countries.
If the Indian team does not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, it will be a major blow to the tournament. India is one of the most popular cricket teams in the world, and their absence would significantly reduce the appeal of the event.
The Champions Trophy is a major ICC event that is held every four years. It is the second most prestigious ODI tournament in the world, after the World Cup.
