CT 2025: ICC meeting adjourned, MEA speaks on India’s participation

The problem of India’s participation in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan, seems to be only elevating. 

On November 29 (Friday), it reached a level where the Ministry of External Affairs of India (MEA) quoted a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) statement where the board said that India’s chances of visiting Pakistan are very negligible due to security issues in the neighbouring country. 

MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The BCCI has issued a statement... They have said that there are security concerns there and therefore it is unlikely that the team will be going there.”

This statement came right after a board meeting of the ICC where all the 15 members of the executive council, including the 12 permanent members and three directors from associate nations representing all the associate members of the apex body met, was adjourned, without getting to any conclusion. 

According to a report by Cricbuzz, the adjourned meeting might only resume after 24 hours. 

Even as the schedule of the Champions Trophy, being hosted after a gap of eight years, is about to be finalised, the bone of contention remains India’s travel to Pakistan to play the tournament. The Men in Blue last toured Pakistan for the Asia Cup in 2008.

The tournament is scheduled to be played from February 19 to March 9 and major cities such as Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore are slated to host it. Earlier, various media reports suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board was ready to offer a middle ground where India stayed in India and only travelled to Pakistan on matchdays as it would hardly take 1-2 hours to reach any of the Pakistan cities from major Indian cities New Delhi and Chandigarh. 

However, as of the latest reports, PCB is not buzzing on anything but the whole tournament to be played in Pakistan.

If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out on our content — big time. Download the App here