Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan recently expressed a welcoming stance toward the Indian cricket team, should they choose to participate in the event on Pakistani soil.
“KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav are welcome. Everyone who comes will be welcomed. And this isn’t our decision; it’s the PCB’s decision. I hope that when they come, they will be welcomed,” Rizwan commented ahead of Pakistan’s T20I series against Australia.
In light of ongoing uncertainties surrounding the 2025 Champions Trophy, his remarks appear to address the tension regarding India’s potential refusal to tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
Reports have suggested that Pakistan are considering pulling out of the Champions Trophy if hosting rights are withdrawn due to India’s refusal to travel.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is preparing a formal query for the International Cricket Council (ICC), seeking clarification on the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) stance.
Although the ICC has yet to make a decision, alternate options, including neutral venues in South Africa and the UAE, are reportedly being considered if India declines to play in Pakistan.
The lack of bilateral series between India and Pakistan since 2012 has intensified the stakes around ICC events, which have been the only stage where the two teams meet.
Last year’s Asia Cup, which was supposed to be hosted solely by Pakistan, was split into a hybrid model, with India’s matches held in Sri Lanka.
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This arrangement allowed India to avoid travelling to Pakistan, while Pakistan maintained partial hosting rights.
The Champions Trophy, scheduled from February 19 to March 9, would mark the return of the tournament to the ICC calendar after seven years and remains a potentially historic occasion for cricket in Pakistan.
