As the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) looks for ways to resolve a potential historic visit by India to Pakistan after nearly 17 years, the team may be stationed in one location for the whole of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The Champions Trophy will take place over two weeks in three different cities: Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. The draft PCB schedule purports that India will be based in Lahore, where all of their matches—including the championship match—will take place.
The idea of concentrating India in a single location is meant to reduce the logistical and security challenges associated with its transportation. Furthermore, Lahore’s closeness to the Wagah border crossing provides Indian supporters with a somewhat accessible way to attend.
Recently, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi disclosed that the board had sent a draft calendar for talks with the eight participating members to the ICC. The main obstacle is anticipated to be India’s possible involvement.
Pakistan has not hosted an Indian squad since the 2008 Asia Cup. Cricket links between the two countries were disrupted as tensions between them increased following the terror attacks in Mumbai the same year.
India had to play all of its matches, including those against Pakistan, in Sri Lanka due to a hybrid arrangement that was required for the Asia Cup, which was held by Pakistan last year. Nonetheless, Pakistan’s World Cup matches were held at five different locations around India, highlighting the imbalance in bilateral ties.
The Indian government, not the BCCI, makes the decision about India’s participation in the Champions Trophy. PCB chairman Naqvi was upbeat about the occasion and hoped that all eight countries would play; however, he stayed silent on India’s position in particular.
Pakistan’s first ICC tournament since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup alongside India and Sri Lanka is the Champions Trophy. In 2008, plans to organise an international cricket tournament in Pakistan were shelved because of security concerns; nevertheless, since 2015, all teams have visited the country for different competitions, with the exception of India.
