India won't be travelling to Pakistan for Champions Trophy: report
1. Due to security concerns, BCCI tells PCB it wants matches in Dubai instead of Lahore, reports Indian media
In a significant blow to cricket, India has reaffirmed its decision not to send its team to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, Indian media reported on Friday.
According to sources close to the situation, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its security concerns to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and requested that its matches be moved to Dubai instead of Lahore.
“The BCCI has expressed its concerns regarding the Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan and has requested that the games be held at a neutral venue, with Dubai being the top choice for the Men in Blue,” a source told the *Times of India*.
Another source added that this stance from the BCCI is longstanding, with no intention of changing it. “We have written to them and asked for our matches to be moved to Dubai,” the source confirmed.
Pakistan, on the other hand, is adamant about hosting the entire 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9 across three cities — Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. To address security and logistical issues, Pakistan suggested moving all of India’s matches to Lahore, which is near the Wagah border, to facilitate arrangements.
India has not played an international match in Pakistan since 2008. Last year, the BCCI declined to send a team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, resulting in a hybrid format where the later stages were held in Sri Lanka. However, Pakistan did visit India for the 2023 ODI World Cup, though they failed to reach the semi-finals.
This decision is particularly disappointing as, during his visit to Islamabad in October for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar reportedly discussed the possibility of the Indian team traveling to Pakistan for the ICC event. The meeting sparked hopes of improved cricket relations, marking the first high-level direct conversation between the two nations since 2015. These talks raised hopes for a thaw in relations and fueled speculation about the resumption of cricket ties.
