The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has canceled the Champions Trophy tour to three areas of the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) after BCCI Secretary Jay Shah protested with the ICC. Now, the trophy will travel to Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was miffed with the PCB for creating controversy by including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the tour itinerary.
“Get ready, Pakistan! The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour kicks off in Islamabad on 16 November, also visiting scenic travel destinations like Skardu, Murree, Hunza and Muzaffarabad. Catch a glimpse of the trophy which Sarfaraz Ahmed lifted in 2017 at The Oval, from 16-24 November,” the PCB wrote on X on Thursday.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah registered a complaint with the ICC.
“PCB is in touch with the ICC on how to conduct the trophy tour to promote the Champions Trophy in Pakistan,” a PCB source told The Indian Express. “The ICC Champions Trophy was planned after taking permission from the ICC. The PCB didn’t finalise the trophy tour schedule,” the source added.
A top BCCI official said that Jay Shah, who will become the ICC Chairman on December 1, told the governing body that it was unacceptable that the PCB was trying to take the trophy to POK.
“BCCI secretary Shah was unhappy and spoke to the ICC about the controversy. The BCCI has no issue if the trophy tour is conducted in other cities of Pakistan or any place outside POK. But they can’t select POK,” a BCCI official told The Indian Express.
The BCCI wants Team India’s matches in Dubai and not Pakistan due to security concerns, but the PCB is not ready.
The top eight teams in the world will compete in the Champions Trophy 2025, which is scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9 in Pakistan.
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