2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan: Hope cricket can be forced to perhaps help improve relationships

The International Cricket Council is confident that teams will have no reservations travelling to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy despite over a decade-long scepticism about playing in that part of the world. The ICC last week awarded the hosting rights of the 2025 Champions Trophy to Pakistan. It will mark the return of major cricketing event to Pakistan after more than two decades. The last time Pakistan had an ICC event on its soil was when it co-hosted the 1996 World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka. It has not been able to host many international games in the country since the 2009 terrorist attack on Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore.

“The answer is, from what we can see so far, absolutely (teams will travel),” ICC chair Greg Barclay said replying to PTI’s query during a media roundtable.

“ICC cricket event is coming back to Pakistan after many years. All of it with the exception of what happened in the last few weeks has gone ahead without any any issues at all,” added Barclay, who was joined by ICC CEO Geoff Allardice.

In September, New Zealand and England had pulled out of their bilateral tours to Pakistan due to security concerns. Barclay insisted that the governing body wouldn’t have awarded the hosting rights to Pakistan if it wasn’t confident of the event going ahead successfully.

“So, we wouldn’t have awarded the event if we didn’t think the Pakistan were capable of hosting it. “We think it’s an exciting opportunity, a prospect for them to be able to host a world’s event for the first time for a period of quite a period of time.”

“It’s not until 2025 and I’m sure that they will, as all countries are required to do, put together the appropriate security plans and assurances to ensure that they can been as delivered.

“So yes, we were comfortable and confident that we’ll go ahead,” Barclay added.

India’s participation in the tournament remains a doubt as no bilateral cricket has taken place between the two neighbours since 2012 due to diplomatic tensions after terror attacks in India.

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur last week said that a decision on India’s participation in the Champions Trophy will be taken when the time comes as there are still security issues for international teams to tour the neighbouring country.

Barclay acknowledged that it will be a challenging issue to work through and hoped that cricket could bring improvement in the relations between the two neighbours.

“We know that it is particularly challenging issue to work through. I mean, from my point of view, I can’t control geopolitical forces are working on what we do.

“But I just hope that cricket can be forced to perhaps help improve relationships between them.

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“One of the great things that sport can do is to help to bring people in nations together. So, if we can do something and in a small way to contribute to that, then that’s fantastic,” he added.