ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to provide written justification for its decisions to not travel to Pakistan for the forthcoming Champions Trophy 2025.
Previously, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had sought a written copy of India’s official stance from the ICC.
As per ICC regulations, the Indian board must present solid reasons for not travelling to Pakistan for the prestigious event, scheduled to take place in February next year.
Insiders revealed that the ICC will assess these reasons before making a final decision on the matter.
However, if the reasons provided by the BCCI are deemed unsatisfactory, the ICC could enforce the Indian team to participate in the tournament.
Sources further reveal that the ICC is expected to include the ninth-ranked team as a replacement if India fail to give a valid reason for their decision.
It is worth noting here that India’s exclusion from the multi-nation tournament would reportedly cost the ICC an estimated $500 million in lost revenues, including broadcasting rights, advertising, and sponsorship deals.
In addition, the lack of Pakistan-India matches would cause a financial loss of around $100 million for the Indian board.
Despite the ongoing ambiguity surrounding the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the trophy tour for the eight-team tournament is all set to kick off on November 16,
According to the details, the prestigious silverware has been brought from Dubai to Islamabad, two days prior to the scheduled commencement of the trophy tour.
The nine-day tour, set to begin from Skardu, also include a visit to K2 base camp. The trophy tour will cover the host cities of the tournament – Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi – as well.
Notably, it would be the first instance that an ICC event’s trophy tour will be held before the announcement of the tournament’s schedule, which is typically unveiled four months ahead of the kick off date.
Sohail Imran Sohail Imran is a senior reporter for Geo News.
