Recently, there have been reports suggesting the ICC has canceled one of the most significant events scheduled on November 11 in Lahore, which was to be a 100-day countdown before the 2025 Champions Trophy. It is happening due to scheduling conflicts arising from India not playing the match.
Cricbuzz reports that the ICC had planned a special event on the occasion of 100-day countdown but has faced complications in scheduling and particularly in relation to Indians participation, which will have to be postponed. Scheduling conflicts as an excuse will probably mask the fact that the ongoing weather conditions in Lahore will not favor the hosting of the event.
Champions Trophy 2025: ICC’s New Decision
“The schedule is not confirmed, we are still in discussions with the host and participating nations on the Champions Trophy schedule. Once confirmed we will announce through our normal channels,” an involved official in the know of the developments had stated to Cricbuzz.
“It was only a trophy tour flag off and tournament/branding launch,” said an official downplaying the controversy surrounding the schedule and the non-starting event on November 11. “That (the event) is still in the works — though may be rescheduled because of Lahore outdoor activities are difficult right now.”
India Will Not Travel To Pakistan
Since the ICC had already bestowed the honor of hosting the 2025 Champions Trophy on Pakistan, an uncertainty over Indian participation became a stark undercurrent for all these months since the ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two nations. The BCCI has apparently apprised the ICC of the refusal by the Indian government to grant permission to travel to Pakistan and has thus left the two at the mercy of the ICC and PCB. This would mean the PCB might have to adopt a ‘Hybrid Model,’ where some matches are played in Pakistan and others at a neutral location.
“This is an ICC event, and BCCI has informed the global body that it won’t travel to Pakistan. It will depend on the ICC to inform the host nation about the development and then close in on the scheduling of the tournament. The convention is to announce the schedule 100 days prior to the commencement of the event,” PTI quoted a source from the BCCI as saying.
But PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said in a press conference that no official communication had arrived from BCCI for that matter either.
