BCCI opposes PCB Champions Trophy travel to Muzaffarabad

2 semanas ago 0 15

A new twist in the 2025 Champions Trophy has thrown the ICC trophy tour into disarray, a day before its scheduled start in Pakistan, after the BCCI objected to the PCB’s plan to take the tour to Muzaffarabad, which is the capital of Pakistan administered Kashmir, a territory disputed by India and Pakistan.

ESPNcricinfo has learned that the BCCI notified the ICC of its objection on Friday, a day after the PCB published a post on X (formerly Twitter) announcing the dates and venues where the tour would go.

It was not possible to confirm whether the BCCI submitted its objection in writing or verbally. It is understood that no approval or rejection has been made yet and that the ICC is still in discussions over the final trophy tour plan.

The PCB’s post took the ICC by surprise, given that this is an ICC event, and such communication is usually announced through its channels.

According to the PCB’s post, the tour is scheduled to begin on November 16, but given the BCCI’s objection, it was unclear at the time of writing whether it will go ahead on that day. In its post X, the PCB said the trophy tour would also visit other popular tourist destinations including Skardu, Murree and Hunza.

There is a possibility that the tour will begin at an early stage, taking the trophy – of which Pakistan are the current champions – to the venues that will be used in the tournament – Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi – and then host the other venues during a second phase of the tour .

This latest development adds to the growing uncertainty about the tournament itself, after it emerged last week that the BCCI had written to the ICC stating that the The Indian government denied permission for India to travel to Pakistan for the tournament. The ICC transmitted this decision to the PCB. In response, the PCB, which is currently preparing its three sites, said that I would not agree with a hybrid modela solution preferred by the BCCI that will allow India to play its matches outside Pakistan.

The PCB responded to the ICC earlier this week, asking them several questions about the BCCI’s communication, including when exactly it was transmitted to the ICC and what the specific reasons are for India’s inability to travel. They also asked the ICC to provide them formal communication of the BCCI explaining the decision and the reasons behind it.

Communication between PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and the ICC leadership is believed to have taken place since then in an attempt to resolve the issue. But the PCB insists on the answers to the questions it asked the ICC.

The PCB has set February 19 to March 9 as the dates for the eight-team Champions Trophy but the ICC is yet to formally release the dates and schedule for the tournament.

Source link