India's playing in Pak in 2025 a challenging issue, ICC admits

INTERNATIONAL cricket Council (ICC) chairman Greg Barclay on Monday (22) said that the issue of India going to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy would be a challenging one and admitted that at the end, the global cricket-governing body cannot control geopolitical tensions.

The issue has become a burning topic in the cricketing circles after the ICC confirmed last week the names of 14 nations that will host ICC men’s white-ball events between 2024 and 2031.

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“Yeah, we know it is a particularly challenging issue to work through, but from my point of view, I cannot control geopolitical forces. I just hope cricket can be a force to help improve relationships between countries. That is the one great thing sport can do is to help people and nations come together. If it can help in contributing to that, then it is fantastic,” Barclay said while replying to a query from Asian News International during a roundtable with select media.

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India’s absence in a global cricketing event is not a happy news for the sponsors either. ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice was asked whether the TRPs take a hit when India bow out of a global event early and he responded saying, “In the end, we put on a tournament and teams make their own fortune in the way they play. One of the things we cannot control is how teams perform in an event. Our role is to put the best event we can.”

Recently, India's sports minister Anurag Thakur, who has been a cricket administrator in the past, said the Indian government would take a timely call on the issue.

Pakistan has got the hosting rights for the 2025 Champions Trophy, their first major assignment since the 1996 World Cup which they co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka. However, given various international teams’ reluctance to tour that country in the recent past over security issues, it has to be seen how Pakistan goes forward with the mega tournament of 2025.

India, who will host the 2023 ICC World Cup, has got the hosting rights for the 2026 T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka, 2029 Champions Trophy and 2031 ICC World Cup along with Bangladesh.