ICC cancels Champions Trophy tour in PoK amid BCCI objection
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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has canceled the planned Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour in areas of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), including Skardu, Murree, and Muzaffarabad.
The decision comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) strongly opposed the move, citing concerns over "territorial integrity and political interference in sports."
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah condemned the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) plans to conduct the trophy tour in PoK, reiterating India’s objections. According to sources quoted by ANI, Shah urged the ICC to address the matter appropriately, highlighting the potential political implications of such a move.
The ICC's cancellation follows its earlier communication with the PCB that India would not travel to Pakistan for the eight-team tournament, casting doubt over the event’s future. While Pakistan had proposed a hybrid model allowing India to play its matches at neutral venues such as the UAE, the arrangement was not accepted.
The long-standing political tensions between India and Pakistan have already strained cricketing ties, with the two nations avoiding bilateral series for over a decade. The last bilateral tour took place in 2008 when India visited Pakistan for the Asia Cup. Since then, they have faced each other only in ICC multi-nation events, making these matches some of the most viewed on the global sporting calendar.
Pakistan had hoped for reciprocity after participating in last year’s ODI World Cup in India. However, India’s refusal to travel has left the Champions Trophy’s fate uncertain.
Despite the ongoing controversy, the Champions Trophy is scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9, 2025, across three Pakistani venues: Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi. The previous edition, held in England and Wales in 2017, saw Pakistan defeat India in the final at The Oval.