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The 2025 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy is scheduled to take place in Pakistan next year, but it has been reported that India will not travel to Pakistan.
According to Rashid Latif, Pakistan will boycott the Champions Trophy if India doesn’t travel to Pakistan. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Amid uncertainty over India’s travel to Pakistan next year for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper-batter Rashid Latif has made a big claim by saying that Pakistan will boycott the ICC event if India refuse to travel to Pakistam. It has been reported by Indian media that India will not travel to Pakistan for the eight-team event in February-March 2025, and the tournament will be played in a hybrid model.
According to Rashid, India can’t refuse to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy as it is an ICC event and India has signed for it.
“This is an ICC event. The cycle has been signed from 2024-2031. All the broadcasters and sponsors have signed about the teams that will participate in the Champions Trophy or the World Cup,” Latif said during the Geo News show on Friday night.
“If a team denies to participate, they need to have a solid reason to justify their call. Just like in 1996, the West Indies and Australia did not go to Sri Lanka but still reached the final. If you make a reason for security, then it is not a solid reason. Teams like Australia, New Zealand, England, and South Africa are coming to Pakistan,” he added.
India has refused to send a team to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, Indian media claims. While the Chairman PCB says that India has not given any written information, if the information is received, they will take a decision. See the opinion of Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta and Rashid Latif. pic.twitter.com/HMHcqxPhl2— Geo News Urdu (@geonews_urdu) November 8, 2024
The former Pakistani captain said that the ICC exist because of India and Pakistan, and if, like the Indian government, the Pakistani government also refuses to play against India, then the board (ICC) will be of no use.
“ICC is existing only because there is Pakistan and India. If the government of Pakistan also says that we won’t play, then the ICC will be of no use as no one will watch the match,” Rashid said.
“We can say that India does not want to play bilateral matches, but you can’t deny the ICC events as you already have signed it. India has to make solid ground. If India doesn’t come, Pakistan will take a big step by not participating in the tournament,” he added.
India last travelled to Pakistan in 2008, when the Asia Cup matches were staged at the National Stadium in Karachi. In that tournament, India suffered a defeat against Sri Lanka in the final.
