New Delhi: After the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) told ICC that the Indian Government will not allow the team to travel to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. The PCB, Pakistan’s media and their former cricketers are fuming over India’s decision.
The PCB wants to host the full tournament in the country and is not ready to accept the hybrid model, keeping ICC busy to find a middle ground for the eight-team tournament. Meanwhile, a Pakistani journalist raised the issue during the US Department of State’s daily press briefing on November 14.
The Pakistani journalist questioned principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel about his stand on the issue, leaving him surprised. The journalist asked that there is a big cricket event in Pakistan to which Patel replied “Cricket? Oh, I didn’t have that on my bingo card. Go ahead”.
The journalist continued and said that saying, “It’s the biggest event after the Cricket World Cup, and India was set to participate, but the Indian government has refused to send the team to Pakistan. The Indian team last visited Pakistan in 2008, but due to political tensions, India has not travelled there since. Do you believe mixing politics with sports is a good idea? What’s your opinion on this?”
In response, Patel said that the issue between both countries and the United States has nothing to do with that.
“As it relates to relations between India and Pakistan, that’s for them to address, whether through sports or other matters. I’ll leave it to them to speak about their bilateral relationship. It’s not something for us to get involved in, but sports is undoubtedly a powerful and unifying force” Patel said.
A Pakistani Journalist complains in US Department of State press briefing of BCCI refusal to send the Indian Cricket team to Pakistan for #ChampionsTrophy2025.
Visibly shocked Dy Spokesperson Vedang Patel replies it’s for Indian govt to decide on this not US. #ChampionsTrophy pic.twitter.com/1xx7pATnP3
— Ganesh (@me_ganesh14) November 16, 2024
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah criticised PCB’s move to conduct Champions Trophy Tour in PoK
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah has raised strong objections against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) plan to promote the Champions Trophy in the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
A senior BCCI official told PTI that Jay Shah called up the ICC and slammed PCB’s move to conduct a Trophy tour in three cities of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. According to the BCCI official, Shah has urged the ICC to take strong action if the Trophy tour happens in PoK.
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