BCCI to provide written proof if New Delhi denies permission for Champions Trophy in Pakistan: PCB – Firstpost

Rumours that the BCCI would not send the Indian team to Pakistan for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy seem to have found their way to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headquarters at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, prompting a stern response from the Mohsin Naqvi-led organisation.

The BCCI had previously stated that the Indian government had refused permission due to security concerns, which was the reason for the decision not to send the Men in Blue across the border.

This was also the case last year with the Asia Cup, which was to be held entirely in Pakistan but was ultimately held in a hybrid format, with several matches, including the final, being moved to Sri Lanka.

Expecting a similar situation to arise in the coming months, the PCB has sought documentary evidence that the Centre has denied permission to the Indian team to travel to Pakistan.

“If the Indian government does not give permission, it has to be in writing and it is mandatory for the BCCI to hand over that letter to the ICC now,” a PCB source who works closely with the organising committee told news agency PTI.

“It is a fact that we insist that the BCCI informs the ICC in writing about its travel plans to Pakistan at least 5-6 months before the tournament,” the source added.

The PCB had initially planned to host all of India’s matches, including the marquee clash against Pakistan, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore to minimise their travel and provide maximum security to the Rohit Sharma-led team. Karachi and Rawalpindi are the other two cities that the PCB has shortlisted for the tournament.

However, the BCCI’s reported reluctance has cast a shadow over those plans for now.

India have not visited Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup, where they lost the final to Sri Lanka in Karachi. The last time the Men in Blue visited Pakistan for a bilateral series was in 2006, where they lost the three-Test series 0-1 but won the ODI match 4-1.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated due to political tensions and cross-border terrorism, reaching a low point after the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.

As a result, India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since Pakistan came to India for a three-match ODI series in the 2012–13 season. The two teams now meet only in ICC events and the Asia Cup.

Pakistan had also become a no-go zone in the cricket world after the Sri Lankan team was attacked in Lahore in March 2009. No team would tour the country again until Zimbabwe in 2015.

However, Full Members have gradually visited Pakistan in recent years with teams such as Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa playing Tests. Even Sri Lanka, the team that came under fire, played a Test series ten years after the incident.

The upcoming Champions Trophy, expected to take place in February and March next year, will be the first ICC event to be held in Pakistan since the country co-hosted the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.

The ‘Mini World Cup’ itself will take place again eight years after Pakistan were crowned champions by beating India by 180 runs at The Oval. The ICC has decided to host the event on the home ground of the reigning champions.

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