PCB Seeks Compensation From ICC If India Refuse To Play Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan

The impending arrival of the 2025 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan has prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to make a formal request to the International Cricket Council (ICC). According to a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI), the PCB is seeking compensation from the ICC in the event that Team India decides against participating in the tournament.

The chairman of the PCB management committee, Zaka Ashraf, and PCB COO Salman Naseer reportedly met with the ICC executive board in Ahmedabad to discuss the hosting of the Champions Trophy in 2025. The PCB officials emphasized their desire for the ICC to refrain from making unilateral decisions if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) declines to send Team India to Pakistan.

Also Read: Asian Cricket Council has approved Pakistan’s proposal for the Asia Cup

It’s worth noting that India had previously declined to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023, citing security concerns. Despite Pakistan’s hosting rights for the Asia Cup 2023, the BCCI stated that the Indian government had prohibited the cricket team from traveling to Pakistan. Consequently, a hybrid model was adopted for the tournament, with some matches held in Pakistan and others in Sri Lanka.

Additionally, the PCB officials proposed that if the BCCI or the Indian government expresses security-related reservations, the ICC should establish an independent security agency or committee to assess the security arrangements in Pakistan.

While the Indian Team has expressed hesitations about touring Pakistan, it is highlighted in the report that, excluding India, every top-tier team has visited Pakistan in recent years, and these tours have been conducted successfully without any security issues.

Sources also indicated that, as an alternative, adopting a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy 2025 (similar to the Asia Cup 2023) is under consideration, with the condition that the ICC compensates Pakistan for any resulting losses.

The upcoming Champions Trophy in 2025 marks Pakistan’s return to hosting a major ICC event after a hiatus of nearly three decades, with the last occurrence being in 1996.