The ICC is confident that Pakistan can host the Champions Trophy 2025
The ICC is "comfortable and confident" that the 2025 Champions Trophy to be played in Pakistan will go ahead as planned.
The PCB was granted hosting rights last week for the event, the first global ICC event to be granted to it after the 1996 World Cup (it lost its co-hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup due to security concerns). After a few recent breaks from bilateral trips to the country, from New Zealand and then England, and comments from Anurag Thakur, Indian Sports Minister, questions about this particular event have inevitably emerged.
When asked if the ICC was confident the teams would travel to Pakistan, Governing Body Chairman Greg Barclay said, “From what we can see, international cricket has been going on in Pakistan for a number of years, all but one happened in the past few weeks.
“We would not have forgiven the event if we hadn't believed that Pakistan would be able to host it. We think it is an exciting opportunity for them to host a world event for the first time in a long time. I am sure that, as in all countries, they will draw up appropriate safety plans to carry out the event. We are confident and confident that it will take place. "
Read More: Chairman PCB assures that no team will drop out of the Champions Trophy 2025
After the 1996 ODI World Cup, Pakistan was scheduled to host the Champions Trophy in 2008, but the event was postponed due to the deteriorating security situation in the country at the time. That culminated - at least for cricket - in the attacks on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March 2009, which led to the transfer of the Champions Trophy to South Africa. It also meant Pakistan lost a co-hosting spot for the 2011 50-over World Cup.
In recent years, however, more and more countries have played bilateral series in the country, including the West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, South Africa and a World XI. A number of foreign players have also played for franchises in the PSL in Pakistan.
That confidence to tour Pakistan hit a road this season with the late failures of New Zealand - due to a security threat received - and then England for reasons that have never been fully clarified.
However, both countries are working on a visit schedule for 2022. And the home season looks brighter: West Indian women recently completed a series of three ODIs in Karachi and the men's team is expected to go on tour in December. More importantly, Cricket Australia has confirmed that - as things stand - it will fulfill its commitment to a first tour of Pakistan since 1998-99 next February.
However, what will be beyond the control of the ICC is India's status in Pakistan. Pakistan played in India - in both the 2011 World Cup and the 2016 T20 World Cup - but India's last game in Pakistan was in the 2008 Asian Cup. Thakur, India's sports minister, expressed concern about his country's participation in the 2025 event, and Barclay acknowledged that there was little the ICC could do about it.
"We know it's a difficult subject," said Barclay. “From my point of view, I cannot control geopolitical forces. I just hope cricket can be a force to improve relations between countries. One of the great things the sport can do is bring nations together to make a small contribution, that's fantastic. "