Last week, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the host nations for the global white-ball tournaments from 2024-2031.
11 Full Members and three Associate Members have been awarded the hosting rights of the two ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups, four ICC Men’s T20 World Cups, and two ICC Men’s Champions Trophy events.
Despite some of the teams’ reservations over travelling to Pakistan on security grounds, the apex body has given the hosting rights of the 2025 Champions Trophy to the South Asian country.
Recently, New Zealand and England had pulled out of their bilateral tours to Pakistan citing security concerns.
However, the apex body is confident that the teams won’t have any issue in touring Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
"The answer is, from what we can see so far, absolutely (teams will travel)," ICC chair Greg Barclay said while replying to PTI's query during a media interaction.
"ICC cricket event is coming back to Pakistan after many years. All of it with the exception of what happened in the last few weeks has gone ahead without any issues at all," added Barclay, who was joined by ICC CEO Geoff Allardice.
Notably, Pakistan had hosted an ICC event last time when it co-hosted the 1996 World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka.
Greg Barclay insisted that Pakistan wouldn't have got the hosting rights to Pakistan if the governing body wasn't confident of the marquee event going ahead successfully.
"So, we wouldn't have awarded the event if we didn't think Pakistan were capable of hosting it.
"We think it's an exciting opportunity, a prospect for them to be able to host a world's event for the first time for a period of quite a period of time."
"It's not until 2025 and I'm sure that they will, as all countries are required to do, put together the appropriate security plans and assurances to ensure that they can be delivered.
"So yes, we were comfortable and confident that we'll go ahead," Barclay added.
There are doubts over India's participation in the tournament as no bilateral series has happened between the two arch-rivals since 2012 due to political tussle after terror attacks in India.
Earlier, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said the decision over India's participation in the 2025 Champions Trophy will be taken when the time comes as there are still security issues for international teams to tour Pakistan.
"We know that it is particularly challenging issue to work through. I mean, from my point of view, I can't control geopolitical forces are working on what we do.
"But I just hope that cricket can be forced to perhaps help improve relationships between them.
"One of the great things that sport can do is to help to bring people in nations together. So, if we can do something and in a small way to contribute to that, then that's fantastic," Greg Barclay said.
(With PTI inputs)
