Hasan Ali has become the first Pakistani player to comment on India’s decision not to participate in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 hosted in Pakistan.

Pakistani fast bowler Hasan Ali has weighed in on the prospect of India potentially skipping the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled for February next year in Pakistan. Ali expressed his opinion that the tournament should proceed in Pakistan regardless of whether the Indian cricket team participates.

Reports indicate that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has put forward a proposal for a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy. This proposal suggests that India’s matches could be held in either Sri Lanka or the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) insists on hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan.

As a potential compromise, the PCB has proposed hosting India’s matches specifically in Lahore. Discussions surrounding this issue are currently underway at the International Cricket Council (ICC) annual conference in Colombo, where high-level officials from both the BCCI and PCB are aiming to reach a resolution regarding the hosting arrangements for the Champions Trophy.

Then They Should Come To Pakistan Too for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 – Hasan Ali

Hasan Ali stated that sports should be separate from politics and added that several Indian players have expressed a desire to play in Pakistan. However, Hasan acknowledged that the decision will depend on India’s policies and cricket board.

“If we’re going there (to India) to play, then they should come to Pakistan too. A lot of people have said countless times that sports should stay away from politics. But if you look at it from another angle, many Indian players have said in interviews that they want to play in Pakistan. So, it doesn’t mean that the team doesn’t want to come; they definitely do. But obviously, they have their own policies, country, and board to consider,” Hasan said on Samaa TV.

The 30-year-old pacer highlighted the PCB chairman’s stance to host the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Hasan stated that cricket should be played in Pakistan even if India chooses not to take part, adding that there are other teams besides India.

“As our (PCB) chairman has already said, if the Champions Trophy 2025 is going to be held in Pakistan, then it will be in Pakistan. If India doesn’t want to come, we’ll play without them. Cricket should be played in Pakistan, and if India doesn’t want to participate, it doesn’t mean cricket has ended. There are many other teams besides India,” Hasan added.

Pakistan has been granted the hosting rights for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to kick off on February 19 in Karachi and conclude with the final match at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on March 9. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has identified three venues to host matches during the tournament.

In a contrast to the recent Asia Cup, where Pakistan encountered a setback due to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) approving India’s request for a hybrid model, the PCB had to relocate all of India’s matches to Sri Lanka, including the final. Pakistan had sought a similar hybrid arrangement for the ODI World Cup in India, but this proposal did not come to fruition.