'If India doesn't come, we will play without them': Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali gives stern warning

Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali has warned India ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025. BCCI is yet to confirm if the Indian team will visit Pakistan for the ICC tournament.

There have been speculations regarding a proposed hybrid model of the Champions Trophy as BCCI has requested ICC to remove India matches from Pakistan. The tournament is set to start on February 19, with India's matches to be played in Lahore.

Amid this, Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali has given a stern warning to India, stating that Rohit Sharma and co. must visit Pakistan or else the tournament must move forward without India.

"If we're going there (to India) to play, then they should come to Pakistan too. A lot of people have said countless times that sports should stay away from politics. But if you look at it from another angle, many Indian players have said in interviews that they want to play in Pakistan. So, it doesn't mean that the team doesn't want to come; they definitely do. But obviously, they have their own policies, country, and board to consider," Hasan said while speaking to Samaa TV.

Ali echoed the words of PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi who asserted Pakistani media that the Champions Trophy will solely take place in Pakistan and dismissed the hybrid model rumours.

"As our (PCB) chairman has already said, if the Champions Trophy is going to be held in Pakistan, then it will be in Pakistan. If India doesn't want to come, we'll play without them. Cricket should be played in Pakistan, and if India doesn't want to participate, it doesn't mean cricket has ended. There are many other teams besides India," he added.

Pakistan came to visit India in 2023 for the ICC World Cup, but India refused to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup, which led to India's matches being played in Sri Lanka. The last time India visited the neighbouring country was in 2008 in the Asia Cup.