PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has said that all teams, including India, will participate in the event and does not see it being “cancelled or postponed.”.
Mohsin Naqvi is confident that the 2025 Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan and all teams, including India, will participate in the tournament.
The Champions Trophy will start on February 19, while the final is scheduled for March 9, and Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi have been selected as the venues. India last toured Pakistan in July 2008, after which the teams have not visited each other due to political tensions between the two countries.
However, Naqvi is confident that India will come to Pakistan next year and no effort is being spared in the preparations. He added that the stadiums would “definitely” be in better condition to host the ICC tournament.
“The Indian team should come here. I don’t see them being canceled or postponed to come here, and we are confident that we will host all the teams in the Champions Trophy,” he said in Lahore. “The stadiums will also be ready to host the matches in due time and the rest will be completed after the tournament. You can say we are ready for a brand new stadium.”
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When asked if he would meet Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, who is scheduled to visit Pakistan on October 15–16 for a conference of officials from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Naqvi played it down. “I do not think the specifics of their meetings have been finalized, but they are coming.” Rajeev Shukla, vice president of the BCCI, recently stated that the Indian government will make the ultimate decision regarding India’s visit to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
The PCB chief responded that he had counseled the selection committee to take its time and reach a long-term decision when he was questioned about Babar Azam’s resignation from the white-ball leadership and his replacement. “The captaincy is important, so I have told them to make a decision after careful consideration.”
Naqvi added that he questioned the head coaches and team captains on the selection committee about whether it was time to add some fresh talent to the national teams. “I told him, ‘OK, it is your call,’ because he said he was happy with the players’ current configuration.”
