Pakistan get Afghanistan boost to host ICC Champions Trophy 2025

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Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has got a boost from Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) who has assured to send their team to Pakistan for the event scheduled to be held in February-March 2025.

There has been growing tension in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after BCCI's reluctance to send their team to the neighbouring country on security grounds. PCB were forced to follow a hybrid model despite being the designated hosts of the Asia Cup 2023 after India denied travelling to Pakistan.

Afghanistan Cricket Board president Mirwais Ashraf and CEO Naseeb Khan, who were in Colombo to attend the ICC Annual Board Meeting met with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and gave him the assurance.

"They told the chairman that Afghanistan is looking forward to sending its team to Pakistan since they are participating in the Champions Trophy for the first time," a PCB source told PTI.

"They gave the assurance after speculations about some countries following India's path if the BCCI decides not to send its team to Pakistan for the event," he said.

The general perception in Pakistan is that because of its financial clout and influence, the BCCI can easily sway other boards of the region, including Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to follow its path.

A former PCB chairman Khalid Mehmood recently in an interview claimed that if India didn't send its team to Pakistan, one can expect teams like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to tow the line and insisted on playing the competition at some other venue.

But during the meeting in Colombo, the ACB officials assured Naqvi of Afghanistan's participation in the 2025 Champions Trophy, which Pakistan will host in February and March. The Champions Trophy is the first major ICC event scheduled in Pakistan, since jointly hosting the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.

(With PTI Inputs)