No official word from India on Champions Trophy ’25: Naqvi

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed on Friday that the PCB had not received any official communication regarding the Indian cricket team’s participation in the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.

“We have a clear stance that they must give it to us in writing if they [the Indian cricket board] have any issues,” he told the media here on Saturday. “Now, if Indian media is reporting this, then there must be some letter; the ICC will give us, or the Indian Board might have written this somewhere. Till now, no such letter has reached me or the PCB,” he added. “We will accept it (their concerns) once we get it in writing,” Naqvi added.

Pakistan, who won the last edition of the Champions Trophy held in England in 2017, is set to host the tournament from February 19 to March 9, 2025. Due to the strained political relations, Indian team did not visit Pakistan since 2008, and the teams only face off in multi-team events.

Naqvi said there had been speculation by the Indian media over the past two months about the Indian team’s participation. Reacting to Indian media’s reports, Naqvi not only rejected the hybrid model for the event but also told India not to expect good gestures from Islamabad after New Delhi reportedly rejected the idea of travelling to Lahore for the Champions Trophy.

“Till today, we have not spoken about any hybrid model, but we’re ready to speak on this,” Naqvi stated. “In recent years, Pakistan has shown a lot of good gestures. However, we hope that we are not expected to show good gestures always,” Naqvi, who is also the interior minister, said.

“We want cricket to be devoid of politics. We will continue preparations for the Champions Trophy that you’re currently seeing, and God willing, it will be a successful event,” Naqvi said.

With the tournament approaching, the Times of India reported that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its preference for playing matches at a neutral venue, likely Dubai.

An ICC delegation is scheduled to reach Lahore on Sunday (tomorrow) to assess Pakistan’s preparations. The tournament’s schedule and key details are expected to be unveiled during an official event on Monday.