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ICC Unlikely To Force India To Travel To Pakistan For Champions Trophy 2025 - Reports

India won't travel to Pakistan in Champions Trophy (X.com)India won't travel to Pakistan in Champions Trophy (X.com)

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 hosting rights remain with Pakistan. But due to the soured political relationship between India and Pakistan, the men in blues are unlikely to cross the border, and ICC will reportedly respect India's decision.

The Champions Trophy will return in 2025 after a long break. Currently, the hosting rights remain with Pakistan. While the tournament isn't happening until next year, buzz concerning the smooth conduct of the tournament has already gripped the cricket fans in Asia.

The speculation of India potentially pulling out of the ICC event due to unusual political circumstances have been doing rounds of social media for a while now. Notably, the bilateral relations between India and Pakistan have ceased to exist for a decade now after the political tensions flared up between the two neighbouring countries.

India and Pakistan cricket team's encounters are limited to mega ICC events. The duo last played in the ODI World Cup held in India. While Pakistan was allowed to travel to India for the 50-over World Cup, the Indian government is unlikely to issue a permit for the men in blue to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. 

Moreover, an anonymous ICC administrator allegedly told PTI that the ICC would not force India to cross the border for the Champions Trophy if the government intervened. The apex body will look for alternative venues for India and switch the CT 2025 event into a hybrid model as the board does not encourage its member nations to defy their government orders.

"Every member can raise concerns for discussion at Board meetings and then it would go to a vote. But if the government (of a member nation) expressly say that they can't play there, ICC would need to look for an alternative," a veteran ICC administrator told PTI.

By the early look of it, the Indian cricket team is unlikely to get a nod from the government authorities to fly out to Pakistan due to obvious security reasons. The team last went to Pakistan in 2008, and since the 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai, the sporting relations between India and Pakistan were completely cut off.

That being said, if CT 2025 does turn into a hybrid model, India's game could likely be shifted to UAE.