COLOMBO: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has formally approved the budget for the Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan.
According to the details, the budget was approved by the ICC on the last day of its annual meeting here.
ICC’s annual meeting was attended by the high-ups of the several cricket boards including Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
The budget for the eight-team tournament was prepared by ICC Chief Finance Officer Ankur Khanna and PCB Chief Finance Officer Javed Murtaza.
For the unversed, the Champions Trophy 2025 is scheduled to take place in Pakistan from February to March, however, India’s participation in the tournament is uncertain as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) seeks the government’s approval to visit the country.
Reports emerged in Indian media, citing a source from the BCCI, that the Indian team will not be visiting Pakistan for the upcoming ICC event.
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Reports further claimed that the board is planning to formally propose Dubai and Sri Lanka as potential venues for hosting India’s matches.
Meanwhile, BCCI VP Rajeev Shukla, during a telephonic conversation with an Indian media outlet, asserted that the cricketing body has not issued any information regarding their team’s participation in Champions Trophy 2025.
“We do not know which source gave such information. BCCI has not put out any official information regarding this,” Shukla told ThePrint over the phone.
Remember, India refused to travel to Pakistan to participate in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023. As a result, the continental event was held in a hybrid model with Sri Lanka stepping in as a co-host.
It is worth noting that India has not travelled to Pakistan since the Asia Cup in 2008 due to the long-standing political tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
In contrast, Pakistan has made four trips to India in the last 16 years. Their most recent visit was last year for the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023.
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