India will not travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025, says PCB
PCB chief Ramiz Raja says India's refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025 is a "big setback" for the tournament.
Raja said that the PCB had tried its best to convince the BCCI to send its team to Pakistan but it was not successful.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that India will not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. PCB chief Ramiz Raja said that the BCCI had informed the PCB that it would not send its team to Pakistan due to security concerns.
"We had tried our best to convince the BCCI to send its team to Pakistan but it was not successful," Raja said. "This is a big setback for the tournament and we are very disappointed."
The Champions Trophy is a major international cricket tournament that is held every four years. The 2025 edition of the tournament is scheduled to be held in Pakistan.
India and Pakistan have a long-standing rivalry in cricket. The two countries have not played a bilateral series since 2012 due to political tensions.
The PCB had hoped that the Champions Trophy 2025 would be an opportunity for India and Pakistan to resume their cricketing rivalry. However, India's refusal to travel to Pakistan means that the tournament will now be played without one of its biggest attractions.
Raja said that the PCB was still hopeful that India would reconsider its decision.
"We are still hopeful that India will reconsider its decision and send its team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy," Raja said. "We believe that cricket is a powerful force for good and it can help to bring people together."It remains to be seen whether India will change its mind. However, the PCB's announcement is a major blow to the Champions Trophy 2025.
