According to an Indian media report, an official from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has dismissed claims that they received any travel proposal from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding India’s participation in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in Pakistan in early 2024. The tournament is set to take place in February and March next year.
Earlier this week, a popular Indian sports website reported that the PCB had submitted a plan to the BCCI. The proposal outlined specific travel arrangements for the Indian cricket team during the Champions Trophy to address India’s security concerns. It suggested that the Indian team could return to Delhi or Chandigarh after each of their matches in Pakistan rather than staying in the host country for the entire tournament.
However, as reported by Dainik Jagran, a BCCI official denied receiving any such proposal from the PCB. The official added that even if the proposal had been submitted, it would have been rejected outright. The BCCI made it clear that the Indian government will ultimately make any decision regarding whether India will participate in the tournament in Pakistan under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The current tournament schedule suggests that India will play its matches in Lahore. However, suppose the Indian team refuses to travel to Pakistan. In that case, a hybrid model may be adopted, where India could play its matches in a neutral venue while the rest of the tournament proceeds in Pakistan. The matches are expected across three major cities: Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.
It is worth noting that this situation has also been a topic of political conversation in Pakistan. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a leading figure in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), recently expressed optimism about India’s participation. Speaking to Indian journalists who visited Pakistan during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Sharif suggested that if asked, Indian players would be eager to come to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. He emphasized that the political decision-makers are impeding cricketing ties between the two nations.
Sharif further called for the revival of cricket relations between India and Pakistan, urging both sides to put their historical differences behind them and move forward. His remarks underscore the broader desire within Pakistan to rekindle sporting connections, which have been strained due to political and security concerns over the years.
The Champions Trophy remains one of the most anticipated cricket events in 2024. With India’s participation still uncertain, the cricket world waits to see how the situation between the two cricketing giants unfolds.
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