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PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf (Source: Twitter)
Pakistan cricket has once again come to the fore to lock horns with the Indian Cricket Board. The Men in Green are the host of the Champions Trophy 2025 but they are yet to sign the hosting rights agreements with the Cricket Governing Body. Due to the country's political tensions with international giant India, Pakistan are in doubt as to whether it can host the marquee event.
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This follows India's refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup earlier this year. The governing body of Indian cricket did not allow their men to play in Pakistan, resulting in the continental event having to be hosted in a hybrid model. All of India's matches, including the final, were played in Sri Lanka while Pakistan hosted only four out of 13 matches.
Zaka Ashraf-led PCB has now asked the Cricket Governing Body to sign the Champions Trophy 2025 hosting rights agreements. At the same time, they have also demanded compensation if India once again refuses to travel to Pakistan citing political and security reasons.
Meanwhile, a PCB source disclosed to PTI that PCB chief and COO Salman Naseer had met the Cricket Governing Body's executive board in Ahmedabad to discuss the hosting of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in February-March, 2025.
“Pakistani officials discussed the probability of the Indian board again refusing to send its team to Pakistan and made it clear that in any given situation the governing body must avoid taking unilateral decisions on the tournament,” the source said.
PCB checkmate India and Cricket Governing Body
The PCB is also learned to have told the executive board that the global body should appoint an independent security agency if India refuses to play in Pakistan on security grounds.
“The PCB officials said many top teams had toured Pakistan in the last two years without any security concerns. They also made it clear that in case of India not sending its team and its matches being moved to another country, then the ICC must compensate Pakistan for this,” the source revealed.
As relations between the two countries have soured over the years, PCB officials expect India to once again withdraw from playing the tournament in Pakistan. The latest move by the Pakistan board will put pressure on the Cricket Governing Body to convince the Indian Cricket Board to allow their players to travel to Pakistan.