Champions Trophy 2025: This time Pakistan is the host of the Champions Trophy and the draft schedule for this has also been announced. According to this schedule, India's match has been scheduled in Lahore. However, there is suspense on whether the Indian team will go to play in Pakistan or the match will be held under the hybrid model. Then a big reason for India not going to Pakistan has also come to light.
Know what is the reason
Some big updates have come out regarding the Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan, due to which there are clouds of doubt over India's tour. The BCCI is not interested in sending the Indian cricket team to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, one of the main reasons for this is the safety of the Indian team players in Pakistan. Large-scale pro-terrorism rallies were taken out in Karachi and Islamabad in memory of terrorist Burhan Wani, videos of which have surfaced. Wani, the poster boy of Hizbul Mujahideen, was part of a terrorist organization. Which was declared a terrorist by the European Union, Canada, America and India.
At least 20 locations of terrorist support rallies were identified. Some rallies were held very close to the venues of the ICC Champions Trophy. This is also raising questions about the security of the Indian cricket team. If we talk only about Karachi, which is one of the three proposed venues of the tournament. It is about 6 km away from the National Cricket Stadium here. At some distance, a large number of protesters were seen raising anti-India slogans. A similar scene was seen on the streets of Islamabad. This place is close to the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, which is another venue of the ICC Champions Trophy.
BCCI gave this answer regarding Pakistan tour
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla said in May 2024 that 'The Indian team will go to Pakistan for the tournament only if the central government approves it. We will do whatever the Government of India asks us to do regarding the Champions Trophy.' We will send the team only when the Government of India allows. We will go according to the decision of the Government of India.'
Shahid Afridi made this appeal
Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi urged the Indian cricket team to tour Pakistan and said that 'sports should be kept away from politics.' Afridi also referred to Virat Kohli's huge fan base in Pakistan and said that 'if Virat comes to Pakistan, he will forget his love for India.'