The BCCI has decided against sending the Indian team to Pakistan due to security concerns.
Legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev has shared his views on whether the Indian team should travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
According to the 1983 World Cup-winning captain, the only opinion that matters is that of the Indian government. Kapil believes some things are above personal choice and once the country has made a decision, people must abide by it.
The Champions Trophy is scheduled to be held in Pakistan in February-March next year. However, the tournament is currently in limbo after the BCCI’s decision not to travel across the border due to security concerns. The PCB has so far not agreed to stage the event under a hybrid model.
The BCCI’s stance has long had it been that it only follows the commands of the Indian government.
“It’s the government’s responsibility. If government says it is okay then everything is fine. People like us should not give out opinions, our opinions don’t matter when the country decides something. Kapil Dev can’t be bigger than anybody else,” Kapil said, as quoted by Firstpost.
Meanwhile, the ICC on Saturday (November 16) announced the global trophy tour of the Champions Trophy 2025 and it did not feature the cities of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
This happened after BCCI secretary Jay Shah had raised strong objection with the apex body regarding PCB’s plans to have a trophy tour in PoK cities.
The trophy tour is part of the ICC’s promotional campaign but the PCB, without any discussion with the international body, tweeted on Thursday (November 14) said that the trophy would be taken to Skardu, Murree, and Hunza — areas that fall under the disputed territory.
Subsequently, Shah spoke to the top ICC officials and condemned the PCB for the PoK move. The game’s governing body took note of it and released a new roster where the PoK cities were not included for the tour.
During the tour, the coveted Champions Trophy will be travelling to eight participating countries for the fans. The tour kicked off on November 16 in Islamabad and the trophy will return to Pakistan on January 27.