The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is exploring alternatives to sending the Indian cricket team to Pakistan for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. With India-Pakistan relations remaining tense, the BCCI plans to propose a hybrid model to the International Cricket Council (ICC), which would allow India to play their matches in either Sri Lanka or Dubai instead of Pakistan.
Scheduled for February to March 2025 in Pakistan, the Champions Trophy is shrouded in uncertainty due to the strained political relationship between the two nations. India has not toured Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup, with bilateral ties severed. Since then, encounters between the two teams have been limited to ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup, the last of which was played on neutral ground in Sri Lanka.
The BCCI’s stance is firm: the Indian cricket team will not travel to Pakistan without clearance from the Indian government. BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla reiterated this earlier in the year, stating, “In the case of the Champions Trophy, we will follow the instructions of the Government of India. We send our team only when authorised by the Government of India. So, we will abide by the decision of the Indian government.”
There is also the case of the significant influence the BCCI holds within the ICC. With India being one of the largest cricket markets globally, the BCCI's decisions often have far-reaching implications for the sport's global governance. The current BCCI Secretary, Jay Shah, who also serves as the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), is set to be ICC Chairman according to reports. This will definitely play a large role in the final decision as he has been a key figure in shaping these decisions. Shah has been instrumental in navigating India's cricketing engagements.
The power dynamics between the BCCI and the ICC have been on display in recent years, with the BCCI leveraging its financial clout to influence major decisions. The shift of India’s matches during the 2023 Asia Cup from Pakistan to Sri Lanka, where the tournament was eventually won by India, is a prime example of the BCCI’s ability to push for arrangements that align with its interests.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier proposed that India’s matches be held in Lahore, but this suggestion is losing traction. The BCCI's preference for a hybrid model, with venues like Sri Lanka or Dubai, is seen as a compromise that ensures player safety while preserving the integrity of the tournament.
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Mumbai Mirror
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