Champions Trophy: PCB approaches Pakistan government after India's refusal to travel

The off-field battle between India and Pakistan has begun ahead of the Champions Trophy with BCCI making it clear that the team India will not tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. The PCB is now seeking its government's advice over the matter.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is seeking its government's advice after India refused to travel for the upcoming Champions Trophy. Pakistan are the official hosts of an ICC event for the first time since 1996 and PCB is leaving no stone unturned in its preparations. However, the BCCI informed the ICC this week of the Indian government's decision not to allow Team India to travel to Pakistan.

ICC formally conveyed this decision to the PCB who have now involved the Pakistan government for the next steps. "The ICC emailed the PCB informing them about the inability of the BCCI to send its team to Pakistan. No reason was given. There is nothing in writing we have received from the BCCI. The PCB has apprised the federal government of the situation," the PCB spokesperson said according to ESPNCricinfo.

Adopting a hybrid model seems to be the simplistic solution for the ICC and PCB now. In this case, India's matches could be held outside Pakistan, possibly in the UAE or Sri Lanka. But this time around, the PCB has been more rigid on its stance of hosting the entire tournament in the country.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi recently made it clear hybrid model wasn't on the discussion table yet. "No discussions have been held regarding a hybrid model as of today, and we are not ready to discuss such a model," he told reporters recently. Reportedly, the ICC had also informed to its full members that the schedule will be announced on November 11 in an event in Lahore.

Exactly 100 days are left for the Champions Trophy now and the plan was to launch the schedule with the said countdown. But in the light of the recent developments, the event has been postponed for now. The Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played from February 19 to March 9 in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi with Pakistan being the defending champions having won the last edition back in 2017.