The tournament is likely to start in less than 100 days. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to host it from February 19 to March 9, but the ICC has not yet released the schedule. However, a major hurdle has arisen.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed the ICC that the Indian government has not granted permission for Rohit Sharma’s team to travel to Pakistan. Pakistan was awarded the hosting rights for the eight-team ODI tournament in November 2021 and is adamant about hosting the entire tournament in three venues – Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi.
PCB chairman Mohsin Nakvi said in an interview with the media in Pakistan this week that he has “positive expectations” about the Champions Trophy being held in Pakistan. Nakvi, who is also the head of Pakistan’s interior ministry, said he is ready to engage in dialogue with the BCCI to resolve the impasse. The PCB is waiting for a response from the ICC on why India has not been granted permission to travel to Pakistan.
This is the second consecutive year that Pakistan has faced the issue of hosting a tournament in a hybrid model due to India’s reluctance. Last year, India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, which was eventually held in a hybrid model in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Immediately after that, Pakistan had to travel to India for the ODI World Cup, and the PCB has recently said that it made the decision to ensure that it has a strong case for hosting the Champions Trophy solely in Pakistan. Earlier this week, India had to withdraw its name from the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup as the Indian team did not get permission from the government to travel to Pakistan.