While there are doubts over the Champions Trophy happening in Pakistan in 2025, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has insisted he is not even considering the possibility of the tournament moving outside the country. Pakistan have the hosting rights for next year’s Champions Trophy.
However, there are doubts over the tournament taking place in Pakistan as BCCI could once again decide against sending Team India to the other side of the border. Last year, Pakistan had the hosting rights for the Asia Cup as well.
However, the tournament was played in a hybrid model after BCCI refused to send Team India to Pakistan. Most of the games were held in Sri Lanka including the final while Pakistan hosted only a handful of games. Unsurprisingly, many believe that the Champions Trophy could also suffer a similar fate next year but Mohsin Naqvi is confident of hosting the tournament in Pakistan.
Mohsin Naqvi on 2025 Champions Trophy:
Speaking to the media during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final on Monday (March 18), Mohsin Naqvi revealed that he held talks with BCCI secretary Jay Shah last week.
“Yes we spoke for a while and it was cordial but it would be unwise to divulge details of what was discussed,” he said before adding: “I am not even thinking on those lines we are confident we will host the Champions Trophy on schedule in Pakistan.”
Speaking further, Mohsin Naqvi said that the preparations for the tournament are already underway. He stated that the three stadiums in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi would undergo renovation before hosting the Champions Trophy next year.
“Even as I speak plans have been drawn up and work will begin soon on these three stadiums to give the fans the best experience of watching the matches at the venues,” he said.
Team India have not visited Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup before the bilateral ties between the two countries were suspended following the terror attack in Mumbai. In the 2012/13 season, Pakistan visited India for a short limited-overs series and the arch-rivals have not played any bilateral series between themselves since then.
Meanwhile, the upcoming Champions Trophy will mark the resumption of the competition that has not taken place since 2017. The last edition of the competition was held in England and was won by Pakistan.