Karachi: A clear message has been sent to India regarding their participation in the Champions Trophy, urging them to provide a written response in “yes or no.”
PCB’s COO Salman Naseer has been busy in Dubai for several days, holding meetings with ICC officials. Last week, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi also joined him. Typically, the schedule for ICC events is announced three months in advance, and it is expected that the Champions Trophy schedule will be released during an event between November 10 and 12, with India’s matches scheduled to be held in Lahore.
Details suggest that after a long time, Pakistan will host an ICC event next year in February and March, with the Champions Trophy being held. As usual, India has raised issues, linking their participation to government approval, which has caused uncertainty.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) usually releases event schedules three months in advance, and this will likely continue. Sources have revealed that the Indian Cricket Board has been given a clear message to obtain a written “yes or no” from their government regarding travel to Pakistan. An event to release the schedule will take place between November 10-12, in which ICC officials will be present.
Looking at the past, the Indian government has never issued a written statement regarding the team’s tour of Pakistan, and it seems unlikely that this will change. Sources indicated that even if there is no response from India, the schedule will still be released, with India’s matches planned in Lahore. However, if India refuses, the ICC already has a Plan B in place, with additional funding allocated, though no public discussions have been made about it.
On the other hand, PCB is hopeful that the Indian team will come for the Champions Trophy. According to the proposed schedule, the event will begin on February 19 with the host Pakistan playing against New Zealand in Karachi. The following day, India will face Bangladesh in Lahore. On February 21, Afghanistan and South Africa will play in Karachi, while Australia and England will compete in Lahore the next day.
On February 23, New Zealand will play India in Lahore. Pakistan’s second match will be against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 24. On February 25, Afghanistan and England will play in Lahore, while Australia and South Africa will face off in Rawalpindi. On February 27, New Zealand will play Bangladesh in Lahore.
The next day, Afghanistan and Australia will face each other in Rawalpindi. The biggest match of the event between traditional rivals Pakistan and India is scheduled for March 1 in Lahore. The following day, England and South Africa will play in Rawalpindi.
The semi-finals will be held on March 5 and 6 in Karachi and Rawalpindi, with the final scheduled for March 9 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. It is worth noting that there could be several changes to this proposed schedule.
Meanwhile, construction work on stadiums in Pakistan is progressing rapidly. Based on the current situation, the venues in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi are expected to be ready by the December 30 deadline. PCB has allocated approximately 13 billion rupees for this, and an ICC delegation is expected to visit Pakistan for another inspection soon.
