LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has received positive indications about the Indian team visiting Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, sources told Geo News.
According to details, the ICC will share the Champions Trophy schedule with seven other boards next week.
PCB had sent the schedule to the ICC a few weeks ago and the governing body reviewed the schedule in detail and made no changes to the PCB's proposed schedule.
The Champions Trophy, hosted by Pakistan, will include Australia, England, and India. South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Afghanistan will also participate.
India's matches and the final will be held in Lahore. India have not officially stated they will not visit Pakistan.
Seven other countries have already played in Pakistan and they are keen to participate in the competition. India's late refusal will be difficult if other countries confirm their participation.
According to the draft schedule, the tournament will be held in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi from February 19 to March 9.
Seven matches, including the final, will be held in Lahore. Karachi's National Stadium will host the opening match and a semi-final. There will be a total of three matches in Karachi. Rawalpindi will host five matches, including a semi-final.
Modern corporate boxes are under construction in place of the PCB headquarters at Gaddafi Stadium but the entire building will not be demolished. The dressing rooms that have been built recently will stay in place. The capacity of spectators in Fazal Mahmood and Imran Khan Enclosure will be increased and will be further elevated from behind the existing structure.
New digital screens will be installed at Lahore, Karachi and Pindi Stadium. The building condition of Karachi's National Stadium will be improved and a new media centre will be built at the University End with a scoreboard.
This event will mark the return of the ICC Champions Trophy after an eight-year hiatus, with its last occurrence in 2017, when Pakistan emerged victorious by defeating India in the final.
Sohail Imran Sohail Imran is a senior reporter for Geo News.
