CHENNAI: With the BCCI communicating to the global cricketing body about not travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to take place in February 2025, the ICC has officially informed PCB of the same through an email, it is learnt on Sunday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board, as things stand, have taken cognisance of the communication and forwarded the email to their government.
“The PCB has received an email from the ICC, stating that the BCCI has informed them that their team will not travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The PCB has forwarded that email to the Government of Pakistan for their advice and guidance,” a PCB spokesperson said.
This development comes days after reports emerged about BCCI informing PCB regarding their non-travel and preference for a hybrid model on Friday. Hours after the reports emerged, Mohsin Naqvi, PCB Chairperson, had categorically denied it.
"Till today, no one has discussed any 'Hybrid Model' with us, nor are we willing to talk about it. But we have been showing good gestures for the last few years and no one should expect us to do it all the time," Naqvi had told reporters on Friday.
On Saturday, it was confirmed that the BCCI had informed the ICC about not sending the team to Pakistan officially, which the global body has communicated to the Pakistan Cricket Board.
"I will take anything in writing to the government and whatever decision they take, we have to follow them. If we get anything in writing on India coming or not coming to Pakistan, I will first share it with the government and media," Naqvi had said on Friday.
Last year, when the Asia Cup was supposed to be hosted by Pakistan, it was changed into a hybrid model with India playing all their games in Sri Lanka. Whether the trend will continue with the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka as preferred co-hosts or not will now depend on how the PCB and Pakistan government react.
India and Pakistan have been a marquee tie in every ICC tournament. However, the Indian cricket team has not toured Pakistan since 2008 due to the political tension between the two countries.
It all came to a stop after the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai in 2008. Pakistan did travel to India in 2012 for a white-ball series, which was coincidentally the last bilateral series between the two countries.