New Delhi: After objection from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday announced a revised itinerary for the Champions Trophy tour in Pakistan. The disputed regions falling in the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) have been dropped from the new schedule released by the ICC.
The fresh development comes after BCCI strongly objected to the trophy tour taking place in Muzaffarabad, Skardu and the Hunza Valley which are regions within the PoK. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared a tweet on Thursday announcing that the Champions Trophy tour will kick off in Islamabad on November 16 before heading to destinations like Hunza, Skardu and Muzaffarabad.
However, PCB’s plans were scrapped after BCCI secretary and ICC president-elect Jay Shah launched a protest in ICC, raising objections against the trophy being paraded in PoK regions. ICC immediately got into the act as it released a revised itinerary for the trophy tour. As per the new schedule, the trophy tour will start in Islamabad before heading to the cities of Taxila, Khanpur, Abbottabad, Murree, Nathia Gali, and Karachi in Pakistan.
The trophy tour will also cover all eight participating nations, including India. The trophy tour will head to India on January 15 where the trophy will be paraded in several cities before heading back to Pakistan on January 26 ahead of the start of the tournament which will get underway in February. The Champions Trophy tour promises to give fans across the world a unique experience of being up close with the iconic trophy.
“We are delighted to launch the Trophy Tour ahead of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, where another action-packed programme of activity is available to fans across the world. The silverware, which will be showcased across all participating nations, will allow the sport’s passionate fanbase to enjoy the unforgettable experience of being up close with the iconic trophy,” said ICC’s chief commercial officer Anurag Dahiya.
ICC’s revised itinerary for the Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour:
16 November – Islamabad, Pakistan
17 November – Taxila and Khanpur, Pakistan
18 November – Abbottabad, Pakistan
19 November- Murree, Pakistan
20 November- Nathia Gali, Pakistan
22 – 25 November – Karachi, Pakistan
26 – 28 November – Afghanistan
10 – 13 December – Bangladesh
15 – 22 December – South Africa
25 December – 5 January – Australia
6 – 11 January – New Zealand
12 – 14 January – England
15 – 26 January – India
27 January – event start – Pakistan
BCCI and PCB in stand-off over Champions Trophy 2025 venue
Though ICC’s release suggests that the Champions Trophy 2025 will be hosted in Pakistan, there remains suspense over where the Indian team will play their matches. The BCCI and PCB are involved in a stand-off over the venue of the tournament as the Indian cricket board has refused to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the competition.
However, PCB is standing firm on hosting all matches in the country, not willing to settle for a hybrid model which will allow the Indian team to play their matches at a neutral venue. As per reports, the PCB has also threatened to pull out of the tournament if it doesn’t take place entirely in Pakistan. Meanwhile, reports have also claimed that South Africa and India have emerged as potential venues if the Champions Trophy 2025 is moved out of Pakistan.
BCCI has refused to send the Indian team to Pakistan citing security reasons amid strained political relations between the two countries. India and Pakistan have not played bilateral cricket against each other since 2013 and continue to meet only in ICC events. Pakistan had to host the Asia Cup in a hybrid model last year after India refused to travel to Pakistan for the tournament.
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