The India cricket team wants to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. This is what Shoaib Akhtar, former Pakistan cricketer, has claimed. The speedster, who was known to wear his heart off the sleeve while playing, speaks like that as well, saying what he feels like without holding back.
Team India dying to play in Pakistan: Shoaib Akhtar
Akhtar claimed that players from both nations don’t have an issue, but it’s the governments that don’t see eye to eye. He claimed that Virat Kohli ‘is dying’ to play in Pakistan. While the star batter hasn’t ever said to himself, considering that he’s never played a match in Pakistan since he made his Team India debut in 2008, he might as well want that.
“India (cricket team) is dying more than Pakistan to play in Pakistan. Virat Kohli is probably dying to play in Pakistan. Landing India vs Pakistan matches will take their TV rights off the roof. The reason sponsorship isn’t coming is because India are not coming (to Pakistan), their government isn’t letting them travel (to Pakistan for Champions Trophy),” Akhtar said on PTV Sports.
Most of India’s past greats have played not just against but in Pakistan. However, Kohli hasn’t had that privilege. He travelled to Pakistan as an under-19 cricketer, but playing there now would be quite a spectacle as he has many fans in the neighboring nation. He’s achieved almost everything in cricket but would like to swipe off playing Pakistan in Pakistan from his bucket list.
Government & not cricketers to decide the fate of Champions Trophy
Whether players wish to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025 or not can’t be confirmed. But one thing is certain: cricketers from both nations respect each other. In the last decade or so, tensions have hardly flared when they collide. Shaheen Shah Afridi brought a gift for Jasprit Burmah‘s newborn son, Angad, at the Asia Cup 2023. A clip of Kohli and Shadab Khan joking around at the same event during a rain delay went viral as well. What Akhtar is saying could very well be true, but since it’s not in the player’s hands, especially from Team India, they’ll likely refrain from commenting.
