Sources told IANS that the 2025 Champions Trophy was likely to be moved out of Pakistan completely following the latest political unrest in the country which led to the Sri Lanka A cutting short their white-ball series. This comes a day ahead of the virtual meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Board, which is going to decide the schedule of this marquee event for 2025. With some more participating countries expressing security concerns, the looming threat of the event to be staged outside Pakistan is surmounting, and under pressure, PCB is likely to relent into a hybrid model. As IANS reports, “Some other cricket boards have also expressed concern. PCB may agree to a hybrid model.”
Pakistan’s claims of successfully hosting international cricket in the country took a big hit Tuesday with Sri Lanka A deciding against playing the remaining two 50-over matches against Pakistan A owing to socio-political disturbances in the federal capital region of the country.
Pakistan hoped to host its first ICC event since 1996. However, after this incident, the hopeful conditions have become quite improbable. The capital of Pakistan is under security lockdown due to a siege created by a multitude of supporters of the jailed former Prime Minister and cricketer Imran Khan, many of whom have stormed into the city.
This incident made it much more difficult to host the mega event in the country after India refused to travel across the border to play the Champion Trophy, and now the possibility of ICC snatching the rights off them looks stronger.
No international teams visited Pakistan since the attack on the Sri Lankan men’s cricket team in 2013 until very recently, when England, Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka sent teams on short tours.
The cancellation of the Sri Lanka A tour was to make the Champions Trophy jittery about a visit to Pakistan over safety fears.
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