The England and Wales Cricket Board has issued an indirect waring to the ICC with regards to the standstill between India and Pakistan for Champions Trophy.
The ECB chief Richard Thompson has made it clear that if India decides not to play in the Champions Trophy, it will be bad for cricket and broadcasters. Due to the political tensions between the two countries, it is uncertain whether India will travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. The BCCI is reportedly convincing the ICC to adopt the hybrid model for the mega ICC event, and it will get easier for them when Jay Shah takes over the charge as the new chairman of cricket’s governing body.
India’s captain Rohit Sharma and Pakistan batter Babar Azam.
The 2025 edition of the Champions Trophy is scheduled to start on February 19, and the final is on March 9. Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi have been earmarked as the venues. The PCB chief is confident that the BCCI will send the Indian team for the mega event as the board has prepared a schedule for India to play all of their matches in Lahore only. The PCB has already started renovating the stadiums to prepare them for the event.
ECB chief Thompson feels that Shah who is going to be the new chairman of ICC will play a big role in clearing the doubts over India and their plans for Champions Trophy.
“It would not be in cricket’s interests for India not to be playing in the Champions Trophy. It’s interesting, with Jay Shah – the former secretary of the BCCI and now chair of the ICC – [who] is going to have a big role to play in that. There’s geopolitics, and then there’s cricketing geopolitics. I think they’ll find a way. They have to find a way,” Thompson said on ESPNCricinfo.
Thompson said he was confident all involved parties could come to an understanding, pointing to the sides’ meeting at the Twenty20 World Cup in the United States this year.
“That’s between India and Pakistan, and I think they will find a way where India will participate in the Champions Trophy… These things tend to go to the wire, as history has shown us, so I think that in those [last] six months, they’ll find a way,” he added.
‘Pakistan are expecting India to travel’
Gould and ECB chair Richard Thompson are in Pakistan for England’s three-test series and have met with Pakistan Cricket Board officials during the ongoing second test in Multan.
“I know Pakistan are expecting India to travel,” ECB chief Richard Gould told reporters on Wednesday.
“There are lots of different alternatives and contingencies available if that doesn’t happen. I wouldn’t have thought (it would be played without India), because if you play the Champions Trophy without India the broadcast rights aren’t there, and we need to protect them.
“Hopefully, we can have the fullest possible competition in Pakistan.”
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