Introduction
Pakistan is set to host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but uncertainties surround India’s participation on Pakistani soil. According to reports from a leading Pakistani newspaper, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has floated a proposal through the International Cricket Council (ICC):
“Under this proposal, India would agree to play one of its three Champions Trophy group-stage matches in Pakistan, at Lahore’s iconic Gaddafi Stadium. Following the match, the Indian team would return either to India or the UAE, depending on their qualification status. In the event India progresses to the semi-finals, they would play their in the UAE, but should they reach the final, the Indian team would be required to play in Lahore.”
Although this proposal has not been confirmed by the PCB, it leads us to a pertinent discussion concerning fairness, security, and what role the ICC should play in managing India’s unwillingness to play in Pakistan.
Is There a Problem with Playing in Lahore?
Looking at the situation logically, there should be no issue if India plays only one match in Pakistan, and that too only if they qualify for the final. The semi-final being played in Dubai can be seen as a middle ground, but the final must be played in Lahore as per the original tournament schedule.
Pakistan, as the official host, has the right to hold the final on its soil. If India qualifies for the final, they must abide by the rules set for every team, just like Pakistan had to follow India’s hosting arrangements during the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.
A Flashback to the 2023 Cricket World Cup
When the World Cup, organized in 2023, became India’s stage, there were questions concerning the security for the Pakistani team that was to play. In answer to whether the Pakistani players would receive special security, Indian authorities replied with just, “So, they will get the same kind of security we give to other teams.” If this is acceptable for Pakistan borders while in India, why then should India not be treated similarly when the host is Pakistan? Such a dual standard raises an important question: if Pakistan could play at normality in India, then why is it that India has all this discomfort playing in Pakistan?
State cricket should always be free from political considerations, and the rights of hosting should stand unchanged, irrespective of the team at play.
PCB’s Defensive Approach: A Mistake
Contemporary judgments by the PCB seem to have adopted a rather defensive outlook, somewhat overly cautious, when it comes to India’s participation in the Champions Trophy. Reports suggest that all the matches of India have been allotted to Lahore, and travel arrangements seem to suggest that the Indian team would fly in and out for every match. That raises three major issues:
- Setting Precedent for Special Treatment – If the PCB accommodates India’s demands, it will have set a precedent for which teams can dictate where they are to play, thus undermining the authority of host nations.
- Undermining the Hosting Rights of Pakistan – If Pakistan is truly hosting, it should be free to determine the venue for all its matches. The PCB shouldn’t have felt nor should have decided that Indian matches could only be played in Lahore, upon condition that they depart right after each match.
The ICC should adopt a hard position; every team, India included, must follow the tournament schedule as laid down in the rulebook.
PCB’s Responsibility: A Firm Stand Needed
It is the PCB’s responsibility, as the host, to make a clear and strong decision on the subject. The Board must inform the BCCI that Indian players are supposed to travel to Pakistan to play as per the schedule. Pakistan should not be required to shift its matches, especially the final, to a neutral venue like Dubai for the convenience of India. If India does not want to live by those rules, then the PCB ought to plead for a very simple decision: either India comes to Lahore as per schedule, or India does not play at all.
Pakistan has every right to hold the final in Lahore and should not make any exception. If Pakistan qualifies for the final, they will not go to Dubai to play; so, if India qualifies, they should play in Lahore.
Conclusion: A Fair Approach for the Future of Cricket
The ICC Champions Trophy in 2025 must be conducted in a manner that sets a level playing field for all participants. Pakistan played in India during the World Cup of 2023 without making any demands for special arrangements. Now India needs to retaliate essentially in the spirit of sportsmanship and play in Lahore if they reach the final
There should not be interference by politics in cricket, and the ICC must make sure that host countries should have full control over these tournaments. India must respect Pakistan’s hosting rights if they wish to compete in the Champions Trophy, and otherwise, Pakistan will continue with its arrangement for the tournament, and if India refuses to play the final in Lahore, then Pakistan should be declared the winner of the Champions Trophy. Again it is to assure that this statement is not from the PCB.
