As the deadlock over the ICC Champions Trophy venue continues, Pakistan’s newly appointed ODI and T20I captain Mohammad Rizwan has addressed the situation. With the Indian team unlikely to be permitted to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is seeking alternative options. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and other stakeholders in Pakistan cricket are making efforts to keep the tournament in the country, but no resolution has been reached thus far.
Rizwan, who has taken over as Pakistan’s white-ball skipper from Babar Azam, reached out to the Indian team, inviting them to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
“Fans here love Indian cricketers, and they would be thrilled to see the Indian team play in Pakistan. If they come, we will give them a warm welcome,” Rizwan stated.
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Uncertainty continues to surround India’s participation in the mega event, as India has not played any cricket tournaments in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup due to strained relations stemming from terrorism. The last bilateral series between the two nations took place from December 2012 to January 2013 in India, after which they have only faced each other at ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup. In contrast, Pakistan has traveled to India three times since the 2008 Asia Cup.
Recently, reports emerged that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering three options for hosting the Champions Trophy.
According to these reports, the ICC may either proceed with the tournament in Pakistan as planned or implement a hybrid model, hosting matches in both Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Under this hybrid model, matches involving India and the knockout stage games would occur in Dubai. The third option involves relocating the entire tournament outside Pakistan, with Dubai, Sri Lanka, or South Africa as potential hosts.
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