Islamabad
\nThe International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday announced the Global Trophy Tour for the ICC Men\u2019s Champions Trophy 2025 will be starting from today in Islamabad.
\nThe trophy, after travelling across eight participating countries, will return to host Pakistan \u2014 also the defending champions \u2014 on Jan 27, 2025.
\nThe announcement comes amid tensions between India, the runners-up of the last iteration, and Pakistan over the former\u2019s refusal to visit Pakistan for the tournament.
\nThe PCB, in its itinerary, had revealed the northern towns of Murree, Hunza, Skardu and Muzaffarabad \u2014 located in Azad Jammu and Kashmir \u2014 as the venues.
\nHowever, the ICC schedule only includes Murree, besides six other Pakistan venues.
\nA statement issued on ICC\u2019s website today read: \u201cThe popular landmarks where the trophy will be displayed on the opening day of its tour in Islamabad are Daman-e-Koh, Faisal Mosque, and the Pakistan Monument where it will be accompanied by Pakistan cricket icon Shoaib Akhtar.\u201d
\nAfter Islamabad, the tour will head to \u201ciconic cities and venues in Pakistan such as Karachi, Abbottabad, and Taxila before leaving the land of defending champions\u201d, the ICC said.
\nThe schedule includes a \u201cseries of physical and digital engagements traversing iconic destinations, sporting events, and key battles in the international cricket calendar\u201d, according to the ICC.
\nThe statement quoted ICC Chief Commercial Officer Anurag Dahiya as saying: \u201cWe are delighted to launch the Trophy Tour with DP World ahead of the ICC Men\u2019s Champions Trophy, where another action-packed programme of activity is available to fans across the world.
\n\u201cThe silverware, which will be showcased across all participating nations, will allow the sport\u2019s passionate fanbase to enjoy the unforgettable experience of being up close with the iconic trophy,\u201d Dahiya said.
\nLast week, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was informed that India would not tour Pakistan for the eight-team tournament, leaving the fate of the event hanging in the balance.
\nIn response, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi ruled out a \u201chybrid model\u201d. Later, the board sought ICC\u2019s clarification for the decision by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
\nAmid political tensions bet\u00adween the two neighbours, the BCCI has stood firm by the government\u2019s policy of not engaging with Pakistan in terms of bilateral cricket over the years.
\nThe brewing situation looks alarming for world cricket, in case India does not come to Pakistan which also stands firm on its stance that it would no longer accept a hybrid model \u2014 used for last year\u2019s Asia Cup \u2014 the scenario will become complex and may reach a very difficult point.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday announced the Global Trophy Tour for the ICC Men\u2019s Champions Trophy 2025 will be starting from today in Islamabad. The trophy, after travelling across eight participating countries, will return to host Pakistan \u2014 also the defending champions \u2014 on Jan 27, 2025. The announcement comes amid tensions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":444070,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-444044","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n