WATCH- “KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav are all welcome”- Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan on Champions Trophy 2025 standoff

Rizwan stated that if Indian team comes to Pakistan they will all be welcomed.

By Jatin Sharma - 13 Nov, 2024

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan has said that Indian players like KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, and others are welcome if the BCCI decides to send Men in Blue to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is to be hosted by Pakistan from February 9 onwards and will feature seven other teams as well. This is the first time Pakistan has hosted an ICC event since the 1996 World Cup.

There was always the possibility of the Indian team not coming to Pakistan due to political tensions between the two countries. India last traveled to Pakistan in 2008 for cricket. Pakistan hoped that their traveling to India for the 2023 World Cup would ease the tensions.

However, PCB revealed that ICC has confirmed to them that BCCI will not be sending the Indian team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025 and has requested for a hybrid model with India’s matches to be played at a neutral venue.

Rizwan greeted the Indian players and expressed hope that the continuing dispute over the ICC event's location would be settled swiftly. He made these comments during a news conference held on Wednesday, November 13, in Brisbane, in advance of Pakistan and Australia's three-match Twenty20 International series at Gabba.

"KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav are all welcome. All the players who will come, we will welcome them. This is not our decision, this is PCB's decision. Whatever decision takes place, hopefully, they will all discuss and take the right call. But we are hopeful that if the Indian players will come, we will welcome them," Rizwan said in the media interaction.

Meanwhile, PCB has made it clear that they will not agree to a hybrid model and the Pakistan government has advised them to withdraw from the Champions Trophy if ICC decides to take the tournament out of Pakistan.

PCB has asked ICC to get clear reasons from BCCI for their refusal to send the Indian team to Pakistan apart from the Indian government not allowing them.

By Jatin Sharma - 13 Nov, 2024

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