In a major development, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have reportedly asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift India's Champions Trophy 2025 games to Dubai or Sri Lanka as the national side will not travel to Pakistan. The mega event is scheduled to take place in Pakistan early next year. The showpiece tournament will make its return after 2017 when Sarfaraz Ahmed-led Pakistan beat India in the final to win the competition in England and Wales.
Recently, BCCI sources told Indian news agency ANI, "It is highly unlikely that the team will travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy but a final decision will be taken by the government. So, in that case, a hybrid model is being worked out. India may play their matches in UAE or Sri Lanka just like the Asia Cup. Although the ICC will also have their stand on it, as of now this is what we are thinking of. Let's see how things go in the future. As of now, it looks like it will be played in a hybrid model."
This comes after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently submitted a draft schedule to the ICC, where hosts Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and New Zealand are in one group whereas South Africa, Australia, England and Afghanistan are in the other. In the draft schedule, all of India's matches have been scheduled in Lahore, including the big-ticket clash versus Babar Azam-led Men in Green on March 1.
India and Pakistan have not met in bilateral series since 2012-13. Since 2008, India have also not travelled to Pakistan following the strained political relations between the two neighbouring countries. The two senior men's team last met in the recently-held 20-nation T20 World Cup, co-hosted by West Indies and the USA. Both sides were placed in Group A and locked horns on June 9 in New York, where eventual winners India beat Pakistan by 6 runs in a low-scoring thriller.