The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to cancel the trophy tour of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in the three cities that fall in disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on their itinerary, after BCCI's objection.
The PCB announced on Thursday the schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour, which was initially set to commence on November 16 in Islamabad. However, this included three cities of Skardu, Murree, and Muzaffarabad, that fell in the disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
"Get ready, Pakistan! The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour kicks off in Islamabad on 16 November, also visiting scenic travel destinations like Skardu, Murree, Hunza, and Muzaffarabad. Catch a glimpse of the trophy which Sarfaraz Ahmed lifted in 2017 at The Oval, from 16-24 November," PCB posted on X.
However, as per India Today reports, the decision of PCB to include cities of PoK in the Champions Trophy 2025 tour raised sharp objections from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). This led to the ICC asking the PCB to cancel the trophy tour in the disputed three cities of PoK.
The PCB planned the trophy tour in anticipation of the eight-team competition, which is scheduled to take place in Pakistan from February to March 2025. This is the first ICC event that Pakistan will host after the 1996 World Cup tournament.
The matches are to be played in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi. According to reports, the ICC was originally scheduled to reveal the timetable during the second week of November, but the locations were not confirmed. India has not yet confirmed its participation, therefore the exact timetable is still up in the air.
Since India did not visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup last year, Pakistan was compelled to host the competition under a hybrid format, with Sri Lanka hosting most of the matches.
The PCB is adamant about holding the full tournament in Pakistan, but because the BCCI now has the upper hand, all of this could end up being nothing more than wishful thinking on Pakistan's part.
