Champions Trophy 2025: BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla on Monday reiterated a threadbare stand, suggesting that the cricketing board will have to seek government clearance before it decides on the participation of the Indian cricket team to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy. The event is scheduled to be held in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9, 2025.
"No decision has been taken yet. Our policy is to take permission from the government before embarking on international tours. Ultimately, it's left for the government to decide whether our team will travel to any country," Shukla told reporters during the on-going second Test match between India and Bangladesh.
He opined, "Whatever the government decides, we will follow that."
Since the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, India has not traveled to Pakistan for bilateral cricket, and it has chiefly contested ICC events. Even when Pakistan traveled to India for the ODI World Cup last year after a gap of seven years, there are talks going on that India might omit traveling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
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In this respect, the BCCI may appeal to the ICC to relocate the tournament to Sri Lanka or Dubai. This is a few days after the Asia Cup, which adopted the hybrid model and had India playing all their matches in Sri Lanka while playing the balance games at Pakistan.
Still, the PCB is reluctant to have the tournament shifted out of Pakistan. Recently, Hasan Ali, the Pakistani all-rounder suggested that if India is unwilling to travel, then the tournament must go ahead without India. The ICC has clarified that it would not force any of its member boards to take a step against what their government has decided.
Discussions are on and the cricketing world waits with bated breath for the final answer regarding the venue of the tournament and the participation of India in it.
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