‘Comfortable and confident’
islamabad
The ICC is “comfortable and confident” that the 2025 Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in Pakistan, will go ahead as planned.
The PCB was awarded hosting rights for the event last week, the first ICC global event it has been allotted after the 1996 World Cup (it lost the co-hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup due to security concerns). In the wake of a couple of recent pullouts from bilateral tours to the country, by New Zealand and then England, as well as remarks by Anurag Thakur, the Indian sports minister, questions have inevitably cropped up about that particular event.
Asked whether the ICC was confident that teams would travel to Pakistan, the governing body’s chairman, Greg Barclay, said, “From what we can see, absolutely. There has been international cricket in Pakistan for a few years, all of it with the exception of what happened in the last few weeks.
“We wouldn’t have awarded the event if we didn’t think Pakistan was capable of hosting it. We think it is an exciting opportunity for them to be able to host a world event for the first time in a long time. I’m sure, as with all countries, they will put together appropriate security plans to deliver the event. We’re comfortable and confident it will go ahead.”
After the 1996 ODI World Cup, Pakistan was scheduled to host the Champions Trophy in 2008, but the event was postponed because of a deteriorating security situation in the country around that time. That culminated – for cricket at least – with the attacks on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore in March 2009, which led to the Champions Trophy being moved to South Africa. It also meant Pakistan losing out on a co-hosting spot for the 2011 50-over World Cup.
Over the last few years, however, an increasing number of countries have played bilateral series in the country, including West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, South Africa and a World XI. A number of foreign players have also played in Pakistan for franchises in the PSL.
