India's Decision: No Travel to Pakistan for 2025 Champions Trophy

The BCCI has officially notified the ICC that the Indian cricket team will not be participating in the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan. It has been reported by ESPNcricinfo that the BCCI received guidance from the Indian government to refrain from sending the team to Pakistan. The prestigious tournament, featuring eight teams, was set to take place across three venues in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9. With India's withdrawal, the ICC and PCB are now working on implementing a contingency plan, possibly involving a hybrid model where teams will play matches in both Pakistan and an alternative venue.

That will not be straightforward as on Friday, the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had ruled out using a hybrid model - or even that any discussion of it had taken place. But ESPNcricinfo understands that various contingency plans had been chalked out some months ago in case the hybrid model was adopted. While there are a few countries shortlisted, it is understood the UAE, due to its proximity to Pakistan, is likely to be the frontrunner. Sri Lanka, too, is on the shortlist.

The ICC was informed of the BCCI stance earlier this week, though it could not be confirmed whether the BCCI had orally communicated its decision. It is possible the ICC is looking for written communication before it can relay that to the PCB. Naqvi had insisted on Friday that the PCB would need "in writing" any objections the BCCI had and if so, then he would need to discuss it with his government before any final decision was taken.

ESPNcricinfo has sought responses from the ICC, the PCB and the BCCI on the developments.

Naqvi's stance on Friday was notably more unequivocal than it has been on the issue, insisting the PCB was not "prepared to accept" the hybrid model. He referred to "great gestures" the PCB had made previously, in the team travelling to India to play in the ODI World Cup in 2023, despite India refusing to travel to Pakistan for the preceding Asia Cup. That tournament eventually adopted a hybrid model, with the latter stages played in Sri Lanka. He also made clear that any future travel to India by Pakistan would not be a given and would be a government decision.

The Champions Trophy will feature eight teams, with two groups of four followed by semi-finals and a final. The competing teams are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa. Monday, November 11, will mark 100 days until the start of the event, although the schedule and ticketing details are yet to be announced. ESPNcricinfo has also been told that a schedule-announcement event in Lahore next week is likely to be postponed because of these developments.

As a result of fraught political ties between the two countries, India have not travelled to Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup despite the latter playing several ICC events in India including the 2023 World Cup. The sides have played just one bilateral series since then, a white-ball tour Pakistan made in 2012-13.

Additional reporting by Osman Samiuddin