THE PAKISTAN Cricket Board (PCB) is learnt to have agreed to limit the tour of the Champions Trophy to the three host cities of Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi after the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) filed an objection with the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) over the PCB transfer to incorporate Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) within the tour itinerary.
On Thursday, the PCB, in a publish on X, mentioned: “Prepare, Pakistan! The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour kicks off in Islamabad on 16 November, additionally visiting scenic journey locations like Skardu, Murree, Hunza and Muzaffarabad. Catch a glimpse of the trophy which Sarfaraz Ahmed lifted in 2017 at The Oval, from 16-24 November.”
Following this, BCCI secretary Jay Shah lodged a protest with the ICC.
“PCB is already in discussions with the ICC on how you can proceed with the trophy tour to make sure the Champions Trophy is sustained to be promoted in Pakistan,” a PCB supply instructed The Indian Categorical. “The ICC Champions Trophy tour was deliberate in session and with the approval of the ICC. The PCB had not unilaterally finalised the trophy tour schedule,” the supply mentioned.
A prime BCCI official mentioned that Jay Shah, who is about to take over as ICC Chairman on December 1, instructed the ICC it was unacceptable that the PCB was planning a trophy tour in PoK.
Prepare, Pakistan!
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour kicks off in Islamabad on 16 November, additionally visiting scenic journey locations like Skardu, Murree, Hunza and Muzaffarabad. Catch a glimpse of the trophy which Sarfaraz Ahmed lifted in 2017 at The Oval, from 16-24… pic.twitter.com/SmsV5uyzlL
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 14, 2024
“BCCI secretary Shah has objected to the PCB’s thought to carry a Champions Trophy tour in PoK. The BCCI has no downside if the tour is performed in some other metropolis of Pakistan and even in a stadium exterior PoK or in a mall. However they can not maintain it in PoK,” a BCCI official instructed The Indian Categorical on Friday.
No remark was accessible from the ICC.
The match, final held in 2017, is already in controversy after the BCCI requested for its video games to be shifted to Dubai due to safety issues, however the PCB has not agreed to the demand.
The highest eight groups of the world will participate in subsequent 12 months’s 50-overs Champions Trophy that may run from February 19 to March 9 with Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi as host cities.
The trophy tour is a promotional occasion earlier than a significant ICC match. With India desirous to play all their video games in Dubai, the match might have a hybrid mannequin like when India performed its video games in Sri Lanka when PCB was the host nation for the Asia Cup final 12 months.
However the Pakistan authorities is learnt to have requested the PCB to not comply with India’s demand of transferring their Champions Trophy video games to Dubai.