ICC confident about teams touring Pakistan for 2025 Champions Trophy

Dubai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has awarded the hosting rights of the 2025 Champions Trophy to Pakistan. The apex body is confident that teams will have no reservations.

It will mark the return of major cricketing event to Pakistan after more than two decades.  

India team’s participation in the ‘2025 Champions Trophy’ in Pakistan is a challenging issue for ICC but the world governing body said it is confident all teams will travel to the country for the tournament. 

International sides have largely steered clear of Pakistan since an attack by Islamist militants on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009 that killed six policemen and two civilians. 

The 50-over tournament will be the first ICC event hosted by Pakistan since it shared the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka and last week’s announcement came as a big boost after England and New Zealand pulled out of tours there in September.

ICC chairman Greg Barclay told reporters, “We wouldn’t have awarded the event if we didn’t think Pakistan was capable of hosting it”.

“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,” he added.

There were fears the decisions by New Zealand and England would again dampen the prospects of international cricket in Pakistan but Australia confirmed this month they would tour next year for the first time since 1998. 

However, the prospects of India travelling to Pakistan for the first time since the 2008 Asia Cup remain unclear.

India hosted Pakistan in a bilateral series in 2013 but the arch-rivals of subcontinent rarely meet outside global tournaments these days. 

Pakistan played in India at the 2011 World Cup as well as the T20 World Cup in 2016.