The Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jay Shah, has at last addressed the possibility of the Indian cricket team travelling to Pakistan next February for the ICC Champions Trophy.
The ICC Champions Trophy is set to be held in Pakistan early next year. However, India’s participation remains uncertain, as the BCCI is seeking government approval for the team to visit the country.
In a recent interview with Times of India, Jay Shah was asked about the likelihood of India making the trip to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
“No decision has been finalised yet,” he said.
“No stand as of now. We will cross the bridge when it comes,” he added.
Three venues — Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore — will host the matches of eight teams and according to PCB’s proposed schedule to ICC, all of India’s matches will take place in Lahore.
The PCB also allocated Rs12.80 billion for upgradation of three stadiums. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, Karachi’s National Bank Cricket Arena and Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium will be elevated ahead of the marquee event.
Except India, all eight teams that will participate in the Champions Trophy have already played in Pakistan and the PCB believes that India does not have a strong reason not to come here.
The proposed dates for the Champions Trophy are from 19th February to 9th March.
This event will mark the return of the ICC Champions Trophy after an eight-year hiatus, with its last occurrence in 2017, when Pakistan emerged victorious by defeating India in the final.