International Cricket Council (ICC) has sent the Champions Trophy silverware to Pakistan for an official trophy tour. The trophy arrived in Islamabad on Thursday (November 14) and will be taken across the country from November 16 to 24 now. PCB has also confirmed the development while also stating that the trophy will be visiting destinations like Skardu, Murree, Hunza and Muzaffarabad.
Apart from Murree, the three other places are part of PoK regions and this step from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to raise eyebrows back in India. Only recently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy with the Government of India denying the permission to do so.
"Get ready, Pakistan. The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour kicks off in Islamabad on 16 November, also visiting scenic travel destinations like Skardu, Murree, Hunza and Muzaffarabad," PCB wrote in its tweet on X
For the same reason, BCCI and PCB are yet again at the loggerheads. With India's refusal, the future of the tournament is also in dark at the moment even as ICC also had to postpone the November 11 event where the schedule was to be announced officially.?
Currently, there has been no development in this regard with PCB seeking a written explanation from the BCCI asking reasons for not coming to Pakistan. Moreover, the board has also cleared its stance on not accepting the hybrid model for the tournament. Several reports have suggested that India might play their matches in the UAE if the model is approved. There have also been unconfirmed reports of the entire Champions Trophy being shifted to South Africa. However, nothing has been made official yet.
With less than 100 days to go for competition, a lot is likely to happen in the coming days and it remains to be seen how ICC handles this delicate situation with BCCI and PCB both not ready to leave their stance.