New Delhi: The interplay of sports and geopolitics has again come to the fore with the International Cricket Council (ICC) forbidding the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) from taking the Champions Trophy on a roadshow in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The ICC decision comes amid uncertainties over the Indian cricket team travelling to Pakistan to participate in the marquee tournament scheduled to be hosted by India's western neighbour in February-March next year.
On Thursday, the PCB had posted on its X handle: “Get ready, Pakistan! The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour kicks off in Islamabad on 16 November, also visiting scenic travel destinations like Skardu, Murree, Hunza and Muzaffarabad. Catch a glimpse of the trophy which Sarfaraz Ahmed lifted in 2017 at The Oval, from 16-24 November."
Skardu, Murree, Hunza and Muzaffarabad are all places in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), an area disputed by India. The PCB’s announcement specifically mentioning places in PoK for the trophy’s roadshow came amidst hectic negotiations between the ICC, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the PCB about whether the Indian team would travel to Pakistan or rather participate in the tournament in a neutral venue like the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The ICC, it may be mentioned, is headquartered at Dubai in the UAE.
Now, with media reports confirming that the ICC has stopped the PCB from holding the trophy roadshow in PoK, India’s influence over world cricket has again come to focus.
The ICC Champions Trophy, originally named the ICC KnockOut Trophy, is a quadrennial cricket tournament. Inaugurated in 1998, the ICC conceived the idea of the Champions Trophy as a short cricket tournament to raise funds for the development of the game in non-Test playing countries.
It can be compared to FIFA Confederations Cup in football. It remains as one of those ICC events that had the same format as that of another big cricketing event, like the Cricket World Cup, with the format being one-day internationals. The top eight ranked teams in the World Cup (including the hosts of the Champions Trophy) secure a berth for the tournament.
According to the proposed schedule of the 2025 Champions Trophy from February 18 to March 9, Pakistan has offered to host all of India’s matches in Lahore. The tournament will be held in three cities – Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi. India has been placed in Group A along with Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand while Group B comprises England, South Africa, Australia and Afghanistan. India, according to the tentative schedule, will play Bangladesh on February 20, New Zealand on February 23 and hosts Pakistan on March 1 – all at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
However, on Monday, the BCCI informed the ICC that the Indian team would not be travelling to Pakistan for the tournament. Following this, on Tuesday, the PCB sought a response from the ICC asking the reasons as to on what grounds India was unwilling to send its team to Pakistan. However, there was no response from the ICC till Thursday, according to a report in the Dawn news website citing a PCB spokesperson.
It is in the midst of these developments that Pakistan announced on Thursday the holding of the Champions Trophy roadshow in PoK areas. And on Friday, the ICC stopped it from going ahead with this.
Cricket, often referred to as a religion in both India and Pakistan, has historically been a unifying force, bringing together fans from two nations that share a deep cultural and historical connection. However, cricket ties between India and Pakistan have significantly deteriorated over the past two decades, largely mirroring the decline in their diplomatic relations.
The conflict over Kashmir remains the central point of contention. Periodic escalations, such as the Kargil War in 1999, the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, and the 2019 Pulwama attack, have further strained ties. As a result, India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral cricket series since 2012-13, and their encounters are now limited to multi-nation tournaments like the ICC World Cup or Asia Cup. In 2023, the Pakistan cricket team visited India for the Cricket World Cup.
Security has been a major issue affecting cricket ties. The 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore left Pakistan isolated from international cricket for years. Though Pakistan has since worked to restore its status as a host nation, concerns about player safety persist. For India, sending players to Pakistan involves heightened security risks and immense political backlash.
India is a revenue powerhouse for cricket, while Pakistan’s cricket board is comparatively dependent on international participation and sponsorships. The BCCI has maintained a hard stance against bilateral series with Pakistan.
Last month, though, there were speculations about the revival of cricketing ties between the two South Asian neighbours when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visited Islamabad to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Heads of Government Summit during the course of which he engaged in an informal tete-a-tete with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar on the sidelines. However, the Ministry of External Affairs effectively quashed all such speculations asserting that "nothing of that sort happened".
According to Anand Kumar, Associate Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses and an expert on South Asia, the ICC’s directive to the PCB to not hold the Champions Trophy roadshow in PoK areas is reflective of India’s immense influence in the cricket world.
"We can engage with Pakistan if it behaves like a normal country and not like a rogue state," Kumar told ETV Bharat. "Our main problem is Pakistan sponsoring terrorism." He referred to India’s strong stance that talks and terror cannot go together.
"Cricket is also a goodwill gesture. How can it go on if Pakistan keeps sponsoring terrorism?" Kumar asked.
Meanwhile, the PCB is engaging in hectic consultations with the ICC to ensure India’s participation in the Champions Trophy. According to reports in the Pakistani media, the PCB is trying to convince the ICC that proper security arrangements will be in place during the tournament.
"Though the case of the PCB is solid but when you consider the strong position of India in the world of cricket, the BCCI refusal (to tour Pakistan) means it will be very tough for the PCB to dictate its terms," the report in Dawn citing sources stated.
"The ICC cannot afford to hold the Champions Trophy without India and Pakistan as their matches hold the key for generating a major chunk of revenue from media, broadcast rights and gate money."
According to another report in the Express Tribune, a new proposal has emerged about both the BCCI and the PCB taking a "give and take" approach.
"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," the Tribune report stated. “Following the match, the Indian team would return either to India or the UAE, depending on their qualification status."
According to the report, in case India progresses to the semifinals, they would play their matches in the UAE, but should they reach the final, the Indian team would be required to play in Lahore. It further stated that if the Indian team plays its matches in the UAE, the PCB would seek compensation from the ICC for expected financial losses.
Despite being just a sport, cricket is a major pillar on which India-Pakistan ties hinge. As long as Pakistan and its deep state keep sponsoring terrorism on Indian soil, even top international sports organisations like the ICC will have to bear the brunt.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Indian government has also stopped the national kabaddi team from travelling to Pakistan for playing a series of friendly matches later this month.
