Raja doesn't think India will pull out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja, on Friday (November 19), provided a positive update on the resumption of India-Pakistan cricket ties, as he has hinted at the two neighbors playing each other outside of the International Cricket Council (ICC) or multi-nation events.
The cricketing rivalry between India and Pakistan is one of the most talked-about in world cricket, but because of the political and diplomatic tensions on either side of the border, they have refrained from playing bilateral series and play each other only in the ICC or multi-nation events.
Notably, India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series in 2012-13 on Indian soil and most recently met in the T20 World Cup 2021 contest in Dubai.
However, Raja admitted that it will be difficult to stage bilateral series between India and Pakistan, but they can play in tri-nation series in the coming years.
Ramiz said in a virtual interaction on Friday, “It is hard to get a bilateral series with India at this moment, but a tri-nation series can be held at some point.”
With the 2025 Champions Trophy awarded to Pakistan, there are talks of India pulling out of the tournament considering the political and tense relations between the two countries, but the Raja doesn’t think it will happen, as everything is discussed with all boards before taking any decision.
The former captain added, “As far as the international tournaments are concerned, it is not an easy task to pull out of an international tournament. Once the rights are awarded, these feuds between different cricketing boards are also considered while making the decision. And all these things are presented to the boards and I don’t think India will not pull out.”
Raja signed off by saying, “I have good working relations with Sourav Ganguly (BCCI President and Chief ICC Cricket Committee) and we have good communication; discussing cricket on a global stage and it can be improved. When two former cricketers are managing things then they focus on cricketing matters and it becomes an easier thing from an administrative standpoint.”
(With NEWS18/Hindustan Times Inputs)