Champions Trophy: Pakistan on back foot, going by what PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has said at press briefing

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All the tough posturing and hard talk from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has mellowed. Addressing the media in Pakistan on Saturday, the rough tone and tough talk was missing.

"The ICC will make the final call. At this time, I do not want to comment or escalate matters," stressed Naqvi. He harped on Pakistan playing a constructive role in resolving the Champions Trophy imbroglio. For someone who was emphatic Pakistan would not accept a hybrid model and Team India would "have to travel across the border," the climbdown is a sign of how he has been asked to shut up by the ICC.

The rabid Pakistani media and social media handles have been taunting India and new chairman of the ICC Jay Shah for almost a month now. It is clear, as of today, the PCB will be more than happy to settle for a hybrid model with certain conditions, which are still not clear. Most important, they want the money from the ICC as the PCB is in dire straits. The PCB and Pakistan as a state have lost face, not finding support from other cricket playing nations. The Pakistanis accused India of using financial power and stifling other countries due to the power of the Indian Premier League. Even if that be true, cricketing diplomacy from Naqvi has been poor. He may be Interior Minister in Pakistan but the ICC does not care about all this.

Cricketers from India have slammed Pakistan for being rabble-rousers and also mentioned how it is unsafe to send the team across the border. Leading the campaign of sorts is Harbhajan Singh, who has not minced words. This is in stark contrast to what Rashid Latif had said a few days ago in a YouTube show which was distasteful. Certainly, cricket fans in Pakistan and their media loves Virat Kohli. But whatever mild chances they had of seeing Virat Kohli play in India against Pakistan has been destroyed. The neutral venues will be in the United Arab Emirates.

Last year when India hosted the ICC ODI World Cup, some Pakistani scribes did get accreditation and necessary visa. By the day, with political relations between the two countries worsening, cricket diplomacy has been smashed out of the park. India will never travel to Pakistan but ask any Pakistani, he or she will always talk in glowing terms of how India has been a great nation to travel to as tourists. And for them to say no to Ahmedabad is also mindless as it is a fantastic city with the world's best stadium named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Pakistan will realise tit for tat does not work like this, that's why Naqbvi has now become timid. He has been asked to shut up and wait for the ICC to make any official statement. With Jay Shah as chairman, he will want matters resolved smoothly. At present, Pakistan have their tails tucked.