(BCCI Photo)
According to reports, the Indian government has refused to grant permission for the Indian cricket team to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This decision puts next year’s tournament in doubt, as India seems unlikely to visit its neighbor.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is making efforts to persuade the Indian team to participate in the tournament. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has emphasized that they will only proceed with sending the team to Pakistan if they receive approval from the Indian government.
The Indian government has denied Team India permission to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
According to sports journalist Vimal Kumar, in a recent video on his YouTube channel, India has decided not to participate in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan unless Pakistan ceases cross-border terrorism. Kumar cited his sources and emphasized that Pakistan must guarantee India that there will be no cross-border incidents originating from Pakistan.
“BCCI doesn’t have a stand on this. BCCI’s stand is the Indian government’s stand. The Indian government’s stand is clear. India won’t visit Pakistan till they do not stop the cross-border terrorism.”
“If Pakistan wants India to visit their country, their media should pressurize their government and give an assurance to India that there will be no cross-border terrorism from Pakistan’s side,” Vimal Kumar said in the video.
Vimal Kumar later concluded by saying, “As of now, India is not going to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.”
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is urging the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to furnish written confirmation regarding the Indian government’s refusal to allow the team to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, citing security concerns as the reason for the travel ban.
Recently, India experienced cross-border incidents originating from Pakistan, resulting in the tragic deaths of four Army personnel and an officer during an encounter with terrorists in the Doda district of Jammu & Kashmir. The attack was claimed by a terrorist faction known as ‘Kashmir Tigers’, believed to be associated with the Pakistan-backed terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
The Indian team last traveled to Pakistan in 2008.
The longstanding tensions between the two countries have prevented them from engaging in bilateral series, with Pakistan expressing eagerness to play against India, while the BCCI has consistently refrained from scheduling such matches. Consequently, their encounters have been limited to meetings in Asia Cups or World Cups in recent years.
India’s last trip to Pakistan was in 2008 for the Asia Cup. Since then, India has not participated in any tournaments hosted in Pakistan. Even during last year’s Asia Cup, India’s matches were relocated to Sri Lanka due to logistical considerations, despite Pakistan hosting the event.
Conversely, Pakistan has frequently visited India, most recently in 2023 for the World Cup. The last bilateral series between the two nations occurred in 2013 when Pakistan toured India for a series comprising three T20Is and three ODIs.
