India have refuted the claims of any discussions regarding cricket and the ICC Champions Trophy in particular during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Islamabad. For the first time in nine years, an Indian External Affairs Minister had travelled to Pakistan, and reports had suggested that S Jaishankar had talked with his counterpart Ishaq Dar, who currently serves as Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, regarding cricket.
India deny claims of ICC Champions Trophy conversations
It turns out that wasn’t the case. Although Jaishankar did briefly interact with Ishaq twice during the dinner hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House on Tuesday night and at a lunch on Wednesday afternoon, they didn’t converse about cricket. Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, who’s Pakistan’s Interior Minister as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), was also present there, and reports suggested Jaishankar talked with him regarding the ICC Champions Trophy.
“Whether any conversation regarding cricket happened or not, I would say nothing of that sort happened. And the reports that you saw were not accurate,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing while responding to a question.
ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan
Scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9 in 2025, the ICC Champions Trophy will be hosted by Pakistan, a nation with whom India has not played a bilateral series in over 17 years. The PCB has been pushing for India’s participation, offering various options, including hosting all Indian matches in Lahore with a possible fixture in Rawalpindi.
The PCB is keen to finalise the itinerary and accommodate India’s packed international cricket schedule. However, India’s refusal to visit over the last two decades leaves Pakistan in limbo. To resolve the issue, the International Cricket Council (ICC) will hold a meeting from October 18 to 21 to decide the fate of Pakistan hosting its first ICC event in 27 years.
Right now, it’s highly likely the tournament will be hosted in a hybrid model, with India playing all of their matches outside Pakistan. Something similar happened in the 2023 Asia Cup when Sri Lanka held matches but the tournament was hosted by PCB.
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