India captain Rohit Sharma shakes hands with Pakistan players at the 2023 World Cup match in Narendra Modi Stadium. (Express Photo by Nirmal Harindran)
With the impasse over the Champions Trophy over, former Pakistan player Javed Miandad lauded the Pakistan Cricket Board for its firm stance on not agreeing to play in India unless the Men In Blue come play in Pakistan.
This resulted in India set to play all its matches of the Champions Trophy next year at a neutral venue while Pakistan will also play all its games in ICC events hosted by India at a neutral venue until the ongoing cycle ends in 2027.
In addition to the aforementioned Champions Trophy hosted by Pakistan, the arrangement will apply to next year’s women’s Cricket World Cup in India and the T20 World Cup in 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
“I think the PCB took the sensible approach and instead of doing something rash and facing isolation in the ICC and among other cricket nations, it opted for a solution where I think the PCB has gained more than the BCCI,” said Miandad.
“Still Pakistan is hosting a big event after a very long time and we have sent a clear message that if you don’t come and play in our country, we will also not play in India,” Miandad said.
India had insisted on not going to Pakistan for the tournament, citing security concerns. Pakistan had asked for the reasons in writing, arguing that every other major cricketing team has toured the country over the last few years and there have been no security concerns.
Last month, Pakistan had quoted a letter circulated by the ICC board among its members in October, which mentioned that no country had objected to the Champions Trophy itinerary. However, within a fortnight of that letter, the BCCI informed the ICC about its reservations on travelling to Pakistan.
India has not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. While Pakistan came to India for the 50-over World Cup last year, India played the Asia Cup matches in Sri Lanka. Amid strained ties, the two countries haven’t held a bilateral series since 2013, only playing at multi-team events.
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