Left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir reacted strongly after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reportedly refused to tour Pakistan for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The ninth edition of the Champions Trophy is scheduled to take place in Pakistan in the February- March window in 2025, however, India’s participation in the tournament is uncertain.
Previously, reports emerged in Indian media, citing a source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), that Team India will not be visiting Pakistan for the tournament citing security concerns.
Additionally, on Sunday, sources confirmed that the International Cricket Council (ICC) informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that the Indian government is not ready to allow their cricket team to travel to Pakistan.
The news of India’s refusal was not well received by many former cricketers in Pakistan, including Mohammad Amir.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the left-arm pacer termed BCCI’s decision a ‘loss of cricket,’ while calling for replacing India if they don’t tour Pakistan.
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“This is the loss of cricket, and this shouldn’t have happened. You can’t make other teams suffer because of one team,” Amir stated.
“It would be better to keep India out of the tournament and add another team in their place. It is childish to refuse to play in Pakistan when other teams are ready to compete here.”
Mohammad Amir, who played a key role in Pakistan’s victory against India in the final of Champions Trophy 2017, opined that the ICC should be authorised to take action against a member board if its government politicises the game.
“There should be a rule in place where ICC has the authority to take strict action against a member board of their government who interferes in cricketing matters. Otherwise, every other team will say they will not travel here and there,” Mohammad Amir stated.
He expressed hope that the PCB would reject India’s demands and remain steadfast in its commitment to host the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.
“It seems the PCB is not going to fall in line this time as Mohsin Naqvi is the country’s interior minister, and he is not going to let Pakistan suffer after spending millions on the upgrades of the stadiums,” he concluded.
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