New Delhi: The ICC Champions Trophy schedule is apparently at a logjam after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) cleared its stance against sending the Indian men’s cricket team to neighbouring nation Pakistan.
The move was on expected lines given the two countries have strained relations for over a decade due to political reasons. It’s just the BCCI started its official communication with global governing body of cricket – the International Cricket Council (ICC) – last week.
The only means by which India will assure its participation in the eight-team tournament is that it should be staged in a hybrid model, wherein the matches of the Indian team will be held in another country (UAE most possible choice) and the final will also be hosted in a venue outside Pakistan (Dubai if the model is confirmed).
On Sunday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that they have received ICC’s message of India’s reluctance to travel through an e-mail. The PCB has decided to seek government advice before responding on the matter, but chairman Mohsin Naqvi has rejected the possibility of a hybrid model.
If reports are to be believed then the PCB has also contemplated over dragging the ICC and BCCI to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAA) if the Champions Trophy matches are moved from Pakistan.
Indian cricket team will not travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy: BCCI informs ICC#championstrophy2025 #ChampionsTrophy #BCCI #ICC https://t.co/310hM6B37t
— News9 (@News9Tweets) November 9, 2024
Anatomizing the scenario thus far, the ICC hasn’t been proactive to get a resolution. After India pulled out from visiting Pakistan for the Asia Cup last year in August, the writing was on the wall for a similar situation to unfold, given the fact that Pakistan was awarded the hosting rights for the quadrennial event in November 2021.
In September this year, a five-member delegation of ICC visited Pakistan to inspect on the security arrangements and evaluation of the infrastructure in Lahore and Karachi – the two cities which are likely to stage majority of the Champions Trophy matches. Reports from Pakistan media suggested that the ICC was satisfied with the security arrangements, which was confirmed by Naqvi.
The question here in the larger scheme is whether ICC made any attempts to hold a common meeting between India and Pakistan? Or did the international board assure the Indian cricket board over its security concerns? And if the ICC isn’t confident with the security of Pakistan itself then why even hold a partial tournament in Pakistan? The option of changing the host nation for ICC events has been explored in the past with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 being the latest example.
PCB has confirmed on receiving ICC’s mail on India not willing to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy, chairman says hybrid model not acceptable#PCB #ChampionsTrophy2025 #ICC #BCCI https://t.co/SebgHBvBWg
— News9 (@News9Tweets) November 10, 2024
What is left before ICC now to have a middle ground?
The ICC must have a ground whether to hold all the matches in Pakistan, which means to convince India and ensure all the safety concerns is met with utmost vigilance, or to stage the tournament without the two-time champions if the need comes, or look for an alternative venue (the most unlikeliest choice).
Cricket’s global administrative body may take a leaf out of the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) book. The All India Tennis Association (AITA) last year wrote to the ITF to move out Indian men tennis team’s Davis Cup World Group I playoff tie against Pakistan from Islamabad.
The ITF Tribunal turned down the appeal from the apex Indian tennis body, leaving them no choice but travel to Islamabad for a two-day tie. Had India boycotted the tie then they would be relegated to World Group II and Pakistan would eventually have gotten a walkover. As a result, the Sports Ministry of India also permitted to send the Indian tennis contingent to Pakistan’s national capital.
However, the ITF did move the tie out from Islamabad when a similar appeal was made from AITA in 2019, citing athlete’s safety is their top-most priority.
The development of the Champions Trophy venue and scheduling can only turn murkier unless the ICC makes its stance clear. The ball is in their court now and being imprudence won’t do any good to either of the parties.
The development of the Champions Trophy venue and scheduling can only turn murkier unless the ICC makes its stance clear. The ball is in their court now and being imprudence won’t do any good to either of the parties. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
