Shahzad said PCB could have forced India to travel across the border for the Champions Trophy.
Former cricketer Ahmad Shahzad has lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for accepting a hybrid model for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which allowed the Indian cricket team to play its matches at a neutral venue.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Shahzad said PCB could have forced India to travel across the border for the Champions Trophy as it is an ICC tournament, but the cricket board agreed to adopt the hybrid model, compromising with the self-respect of Pakistan.
According to Shahzad, the PCB has approved BCCI’s claims that Pakistan is not a safe country for hosting a cricket tournament by settling for the hybrid model.
“Pakistan has once again compromised on its self-respect. All those big talks that we will not accept a hybrid model, India will have to come, we are a safe country, have India come? They have not. Eventually, you had to accept the hybrid model but with a different name. Maybe you have accepted that Pakistan is not a safe country. This is exactly India’s complaint and now by agreeing to a hybrid model, you have approved India’s claims,” Shahzad stated.
“Tell me why are you fooling Pakistan’s people? Why are you playing with people’s emotions?”
Ahmad Shahzad also called out the PCB officials for their “weak policy” that allowed BCCI to dictate terms.
“This is an ICC tournament, not Asia Cup that you agreed to a hybrid model. Now whether you go to India or not, it’s India who initiated this. If the ICC tournament was in India, would it have been possible for PCB to make BCCI agree to a hybrid model? It is impossible. The Indian players who made the big claims knew that their board was committed. They had said two years back that even for an ICC tournament India will not go to Pakistan and this has been proven right today,” he said.
“Champions Trophy 2025 was allotted to Pakistan but they have lost a chance, they lost their self-respect and a golden chance to bring the Indian team to Pakistan, to give a chance to our fans to watch Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, but this chance has been lost because of our seniors’ weak policy.
“India made strategic moves and became successful. Regardless of their influence, other boards being close to them and Jay Shah being ICC president, our stand should have been stronger. If PCB wanted and put up a strong case, it was impossible that India would not have come to Pakistan but PCB somewhere kept making compromises.”
Apart from the Champions Trophy, the ICC has adopted a hybrid model for global events in India till 2027, which means Pakistan will also be able to play their mega events matches at a neutral venue.