After India declined to compete in the host country of Pakistan, the International Cricket Council (ICC) will meet this week to decide the fate of the Champions Trophy the next year, a spokesman said on Tuesday.
The event’s future was in doubt when the ICC told the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) earlier this month that India would not be visiting Pakistan for the eight-team competition.
Without giving any information, an ICC spokesperson in Dubai told AFP that they could “confirm an ICC meeting on Friday” when the matter will be discussed.
Proposals to let India play in a neutral third country have already been turned down by the PCB, which maintains that the entire schedule from February 19 to March 9 must take place on their soil.
The cricket body of India has not made any remarks regarding the competition.
Bitter adversaries result from deteriorating political ties. For more than ten years, India and Pakistan have only faced each other in ICC multi-nation cricket competitions; they have not played a bilateral series.
Following an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009, teams declined to visit Pakistan, resulting in a years-long lack of home games.
Only in 2020 did international play fully restart.
India’s games were played outside of Pakistan when they hosted the Asia Cup last year.
But citing their recent success hosting elite teams like Australia, England, and South Africa, Pakistani cricket officials have dismissed security concerns for the Champions Trophy.
Since Pakistan co-hosted the 1996 World Cup alongside India and Sri Lanka, the Champions Trophy will be the first ICC event held in Pakistan.
