(AFP Photo)
Former Pakistan cricket captain and renowned all-rounder Shoaib Malik has expressed his hope that the Indian cricket team will visit Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The tournament is set to be held in Pakistan starting February 19, but there is a significant possibility that India may not make the trip.
India has not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup, largely due to ongoing political tensions between the two nations. Over the past 16 years, Pakistan has visited India on only four occasions, with three of those trips occurring during ICC events: the 2011 World Cup, the 2016 T20 World Cup, and the 2023 ODI World Cup.
In light of speculations that the ICC Champions Trophy might be relocated or held in a hybrid format due to India’s position, Shoaib Malik, who captained Pakistan to the 2007 T20 World Cup final, has extended a warm invitation to the Indian cricket team. Malik noted that Pakistan visited India for matches last year, and he believes it would be a great chance for Indian players to travel to Pakistan now. He emphasized that cricket should remain separate from political issues.
“Whatever reservations there are between the countries, that’s a separate issue and should be solved separately. Politics shouldn’t come into sports. The Pakistan team went to India last year, and now it’s a good opportunity for the Indian team too. I think there are many players in the Indian team who haven’t played in Pakistan, so it would be great for them. Hum bahut acche log hai (we are good people). We’re very hospitable people, so I’m sure the Indian team should definitely come,” Malik was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh, who visited Pakistan several times with the Indian team in the early 2000s, reaffirmed that the safety of the players is of utmost importance. He stressed that there is no obligation for the Indian team to travel to Pakistan.
“Why should the Indian team go to Pakistan? There is a safety concern in Pakistan. The situation in Pakistan is such that incidents occur almost every day. I don’t think it’s safe (for the team) to go there. The stance of the BCCI is absolutely correct, and nothing is more important than the safety of our players. I support BCCI’s stand,” Harbhajan told IANS on Thursday.
