Champions Trophy 2025: 'Build a stadium on the border, one gate of which opens in India and the other in Pakistan', Pakistani batsman takes a dig at BCCI

pc: news24online

The ICC has finally decided on the Champions Trophy that the India-Pakistan matches will be played at a neutral venue, but the disappointment over India's refusal is not ending. Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad has come up with a strange idea to resolve the issues of travel and politics between India and Pakistan. He suggested building a stadium on the border and creating separate entry gates, allowing both teams to enter through those entry gates without crossing each other's borders.

Disappointment over India's refusal to visit Pakistan

Shahzad showed clear frustration over the issues between the two countries. He specifically talked about India's decision not to participate in the 2023 Champions Trophy, which is to be hosted in Pakistan. He directly attacked the BCCI and the Indian government for this approach, which caused the Pakistan Cricket Board to lose the golden opportunity of hosting India on its soil.

Shahzad says- “Build a stadium on the border”:

Shahzad said- “Build a stadium on the border. One gate should be opened in India, the other in Pakistan. Their players can come from there, our players can go from here. But again, I think BCCI or the Indian government will have a problem with this. They will say that when our player comes to the field on your behalf, we will not give him a visa for this.

missed opportunity for pcb

Shahzad said- “Pakistan had a golden opportunity to host India. All the cricket boards had signed the agreement in 2021 that Pakistan will host the Champions Trophy. ICC cannot step back.”

Shahzad said- “I think the PCB has missed the opportunity. We should forget that the Indian team will ever come to Pakistan. Just forget it. The only way to bring India here was through an ICC event.”

Hybrid model for Champions Trophy

On Nadir Ali Podcast, Shehzad was asked his views on India refusing to go to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. The issue, which had been a bone of contention for months, was resolved on Thursday when the ICC confirmed that the 2025 Champions Trophy will be played in a hybrid format. As per this agreement, India will play all its games at neutral venues while Pakistan will also host matches at neutral venues for tournaments held in India till 2027.

Impact on future tournaments

This decision of ICC will also have an impact on future cricket events, as India and Sri Lanka are going to co-host the 2026 T20 World Cup. Shahzad's comments reflect widespread frustration within Pakistan over the ongoing difficulties in hosting international cricket events due to political tensions with neighboring India.