New Delhi: A day after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi denied accepting a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy 2025, former Pakistan batter Basit Ali sent a warning to the PCB over its ongoing standoff with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the venue of the tournament. Pakistan are the designated host of Champions Trophy 2025 and have made it clear they want to host the entire tournament in the country.
However, the BCCI has refused to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the tournament, leaving ICC in a spot of bother. BCCI has already communicated to the ICC that they won’t send the Indian team to Pakistan citing security reasons. The ICC is now reportedly trying to convince the PCB for a hybrid model for the tournament. However, there seems to be no breakthrough in the impasse yet.
PCB chairman Naqvi while talking to the media on Monday stated that the Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan and that the board will not accept a hybrid model. He also claimed that all other participating nations barring India have agreed to travel to Pakistan to take part in the tournament. Reacting to the PCB chief’s comments, Basit explained why a tournament without India is not impossible.
‘BCCI has become very strong due to IPL’
Basit said BCCI holds power and has become even stronger after the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and that no other nation would go against India if they want a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy. The former Pakistan batter warned the PCB that the participating nations might have said yes to playing in Pakistan but they also haven’t refused to play if the tournament is conducted in a hybrid model.
“India (BCCI) ke paas power hai. IPL ki wajah se India boht strong ho chuka hai aur woh India ke against nahi jayenge (India has become very powerful because of the IPL and no team will go against them). It’s right that all the countries (except India) have said yes for the Champions Trophy; but they haven’t said that they will refuse to accept a hybrid model,” Basit said on his YouTube channel.
Basit further said that there should not be any talks of the Champions Trophy being held without India taking part in the tournament as the broadcasters will suffer huge losses if the Men in Blue do not participate in the multi-nation event. He insisted the same should be the case for Pakistan, without whom the tournament will not be possible.
“Any talks of Champions Trophy being held without India need not be entertained, same for Pakistan, because the amount of loss broadcasters have suffered at the T20 World Cup (earlier this year) in the US and the West Indies, they don’t have much room left to bear more losses. They are putting pressure (on the ICC) for clarity,” Basit added.
India and Pakistan have not played bilateral cricket against each other since 2013 due to strained political relations between the two countries. India have maintained a strict stance over travelling to Pakistan citing security concerns. The Asia Cup 2023 which was scheduled to be held in Pakistan last year was played in a hybrid model after India refused to travel to Pakistan for the tournament.
Amid the ongoing impasse over Champions Trophy 2025, it remains to be seen if PCB will relent and will agree to host the tournament in a hybrid model or if the ICC will have to shift the entire tournament to a different country.
Amid PCB’s strong stance over hosting the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan despite BCCI’s refusal to send the Indian team to the country, a former Pakistan batter has sent a stark warning to the board. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
