Rajeev Shukla drops a bombshell on India not traveling to Pakistan for the ICC champions trophy

By Sandy Verma On Nov 17, 2024

The dispute between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appears to have placed the International Cricket Council (ICC) in an awkward position. The Indian cricket board has reportedly urged the ICC that Rohit Sharma and his squad will not be boarding a flight to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, the PCB, which has been opposed to the implementation of the hybrid model, has also earlier on sought to know from the concerned authority about the position of India on this matter.

As the ICC strives to reach a consensus on how best to stage the eight-nation tournament, it is reported that BCCI secretary Rajeev Shukla has opened up on the ongoing episode. Earlier in the day, Shukla told the agency that India has made up its mind on this issue and will carry out the government’s directive.

“This is the standpoint. It is our policy that whatever the government asks us, whatever the direction it gives we will do according to that. This, we have also informed the ICC,” said Shukla.

#WATCH | Mumbai | On the venues of the Champions Trophy and Pakistan vs India probable match, BCCI vice president & Congress leader Rajeev Shukla says, “We are very clear about it and it’s our policy that – whatever the govt asks us, whatever the direction it gives, we will do… pic.twitter.com/SD2tcQnhfI
— ANI (@ANI) November 15, 2024

The ICC on Friday deferred the scheduled Champions Trophy tour of the controversially held Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) regions, following BCCI’s vehement concerns. While PCB sources claimed late Friday that the Pakistan Board would take out one city from the narrated four cities tour, it is understood that the ICC will not allow Pakistan to tour any of the said cities.

As it is that, the BCCI secretary Jay Shah on January 18, this year had a word with ICC officials and lashed out at the PCB for the inclusion of PKO.

“BCCI Secretary spoke to the ICC and reproached the PCB for proposing the Scheduling of a Trophy tour to several towns in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. He requested for Bullying from the ICC. There is no problem regarding Trophy tour to Islamabad, The issue is there is no Trophy tour to PoK,” a senior BCCI member told this news agency on the condition of anonymity.

Following Shah’s protest, it was learned that the PCB notified the ICC about the exclusion of Muzaffarabad from its plans, however, it is understood that the BCCI is unlikely to back down.