Kamran Akmal, the former Pakistani keeper-batter, has questioned BCCI that if Australia can come to Pakistan, then why cannot India travel to the neighboring country? This comes as Pakistan is set to host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, their first ICC event since 1996.
However, reports have stated that BCCI is not willing to send the Indian team to Pakistan and has requested the ICC to host India’s matches at neutral venues. UAE and Sri Lanka are seen as prime contenders to host India’s matches in the Champions Trophy, despite Pakistan being the hosts.
India has not toured Pakistan since Asia Cup 2008 as terror attacks in Mumbai the same year led to political tensions between the two sides. The last bilateral series between the two sides happened in 2012-13 when Pakistan toured India.
Apart from this, Pakistan did travel to India for the 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2023 World Cup and hoped that India would reciprocate by traveling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
But chances of that happening seem to be bleak and midst of this, Kamran Akmal stated that when teams like Australia can travel to Pakistan, then why can’t India? He feels that politics should stay away from cricket.
“I consider myself lucky that I traveled to India and played several series, both home and away. I really enjoyed those times. India should travel to Pakistan, and Pakistan should go to India. Let’s keep the political matters aside and play and love cricket.
When a team like Australia can visit Pakistan, why not India? The India-Pakistan bilateral series should happen. Both governments need to sit and talk. This will benefit cricket,” Akmal was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
Kamran believes that if India does not travel to Pakistan next year, the ICC Champions Trophy will leave the country, and he wants the BCCI to prevent it.
“Pehle aapne Asia Cup le liya, ab Champions Trophy ki baatein kar rahe hain. Kyun kar rahe hain aap aisa? (First, you took away the Asia Cup from Pakistan; now talking about the Champions Trophy, why?) … Pakistan has done a lot of hard work to bring cricket back to the country. If India invites Pakistan, our government will never stop us. They will say, ‘Go and play.’ The Indian government should do the same. Let’s keep politics aside and play cricket,” he added.
ICC Champions Trophy is scheduled to take place across three venues—Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi—from February 19 to March 9.
