Pakistan considers potentially boycotting Champions Trophy, may skip matches against India in ICC tournaments: Report

The ongoing dispute between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over the hosting of the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan is escalating. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has informed the PCB that India will not be participating in the tournament in Pakistan. In response, the PCB has forwarded the ICC's confirmation to the Pakistan government. There are reports suggesting that Pakistan is considering the possibility of withdrawing from the tournament altogether.

PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi has already stated that Pakistan won't accept the hybrid model for the Champions Trophy. If the hybrid model was accepted, then India would have played their matches at a neutral venue.

However, a report in Dawn.com states that the government of Pakistan is thinking of asking PCB to withdraw from the Champions Trophy.

"In such a case, one of the options the government is mul­ling is that of asking the PCB to ensure Pakistan don’t participate in the Champions Trophy," Dawn quoted a source as saying.

The report also added that the federal government of Pakistan is looking at the issue very "seriously."

The same report in Dawn also states that Pakistan government might also ask the PCB to refuse playing against India in any ICC or Asian Cricket Council (ACC) tournaments until issues are resolved between the two countries at the government level.

Last year, Asia Cup was slated to be played in Pakistan. However, it eventually went ahead in a hybrid model, with India's matches going ahead in Sri Lanka.

India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series against each other in 2012. Since then, the two nations have competed against each other in the ICC tournaments and Asia Cup.

Pakistan have visited India for the T20 World Cup in 2016 and ODI World Cup in 2023.

Coming back to Champions Trophy 2025, the eight-team tournament is currently scheduled to be played from February 19-March 9 next year. The host cities are Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi. However, the fate of the tournament currently hangs in the balance.

Earlier, former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif had also claimed that Pakistan would withdraw from the Champions Trophy if India don't cross the border for the tournament.

Pakistan had co-hosted the 1996 ODI World Cup, and this remains the last time an ICC event was played in the country. Pakistan had won the last edition of Champions Trophy after defeating India in the final of the 2017 tournament.