LAHORE: According to the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency on Monday, Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), is confident that the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy would take place in the nation and that all teams, including India, the country’s bitter rivals, will compete.
The 2025 edition of the Champions Trophy is slated to commence on February 19, and the final is on March 9. The cities of Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi have been selected as the locations.
Since July 2008, India has not dispatched a team to Pakistan because of the strained political ties between the two nations.
“The Indian squad need to show up. We are certain that we would host every team competing for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, therefore I don’t see them canceling or delaying their visit,” Mohsin stated.
He added that all teams, including India, would be hosted by Pakistan, and that all preparations were proceeding according to plan.
“The stadiums will be prepared to accommodate the matches on time, and any outstanding work will be finished following the tournament,” he stated.
The stadiums would “definitely” be in far better condition to host the competition in February or March, according to Mohsin.
In response to a question regarding Babar Azam’s recent resignation as Pakistan’s white-ball captain and his possible replacement, the head of the PCB stated he had instructed the selection committee to deliberate carefully and reach a long-term decision.
“The captain’s position is important, so I have told them to take a decision after careful consideration,” Mohsin stated.
He also said he had queried from the selection committee including the captain and head coach of the teams whether it was the correct moment to infuse some fresh blood in the national sides.
He continued, “They said they are happy with the players as they are right now, so I told them, ‘Okay, it’s your call.'”
