Former Pakistan cricket board chairman Khalid Mahmood believes India won’t send its team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy next year. Pakistan has the hosting rights of the tournament, which will held in February-March 2025.PCB has tentative scheduled of this mega event, keeping India’s matches at the iconic Gaddafi stadium in Lahore, but the BCCI hasn’t given the schedule the green light as Indian cricket board is awaiting government approval, which is unlikely to receive given the relationship between the two countries.
India will not play in Pakistan, feels Ex-PCB chief
Khalid Mahmood ex-chief of PCB feels India will refuse to travel to Pakistan for the upcoming Champion Trophy 2025.He guess India’s negative attitude might prompt the other participating nations to take the similar action.
” There are very, very slim chances they will agree to play in Pakistan. India is the richest cricket board and carries a lot of clout. If they don’t send their team to Pakistan I foresee even countries like Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh following their path,” Mahmood was quoted as saying by cricket Pakistan.
Mahmood also warned Pakistan to not do a tit-for-tat strategy, as it would misfire on them, given India’s significance in global cricket.
” It would do no good for Pakistan to adopt a tit-for-tat strategy. Thing is when the BCCI says it can’t send its team and will play its matches outside Pakistan, it does reduce the purpose for Pakistan of hosting an ICC event,” he added.