
CHENNAI: India captain Rohit Sharma will not travel to Pakistan as there will be no captains' photo-shoot or joint press conference ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy starting on February 19. Hosts Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the opener in Karachi. A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) source confirmed the development to this daily on Thursday. Similarly, there will be no opening ceremony even as the PCB will proceed with its pre-event ceremonies days before the start of the tournament.
"Opening Ceremony was never announced either by the ICC or the PCB. Last opening ceremony involving all participating players was held in Dhaka 2011," said the PCB source. Giving example of the 2024 T20 World Cup, which India won, the source added, "At the T20 World Cup 2024, no captains' photo-shoot or press conference was held due to captains not being available at one location."
Notably, India will play all their matches in Dubai as the Indian cricket board (BCCI) had decided not to send the team to Pakistan due to security concerns and if the Men in Blue reach the final, the summit clash will also be held in Dubai.
"England is arriving in Lahore on February 18 and Australia in arriving on February 19. The two are due to play in Lahore on February 22. England will arrive at the back of their series against India, which finishes on 12 February, while Australia will arrive after finishing their series against Sri Lanka on February 14. Both the sides have taken a break en-route to Lahore. Because the two sides will arrive either a day before or on the day of the opening match, all captains will not be available in the lead up to the tournament. As such, no captains' photo-shoot or joint-press conference will be held," explained the source.
The tournament will concludes on March 9 will be held across three venues in Pakistan — Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi apart from Dubai. It will also be the first global tournament in Pakistan since it jointly hosted the 1996 ODI World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.
The PCB, however, will inaugurate the tournament on February 16. "The PCB is proceeding with its pre-event ceremonies. On 7 February, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will inaugurate the Gaddafi Stadium; President Asif Ali Zardari will inaugurate the National Stadium on 11 February and event inauguration will be held on 16 February at the Lahore Fort in which PCB/ICC, various dignitaries/VVIPs and former cricketers will be in attendance," said the source.
The tournament hit a major roadblock late last year when India refused to travel to Pakistan forcing the stakeholders including the world body to come up with a hybrid model to make sure the event goes on. Indian team last travelled to Pakistan in 2008 for Asia Cup. Pakistan though had visited India for a bilateral series in 2012-13, 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup.