Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is in the process of formalizing its response to the International Cricket Council (ICC) following India's announcement that it will not be traveling to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy in the upcoming year, as reported by Geo News.
Sources have indicated that the PCB intends to dispatch a letter to the ICC within the next two days, in compliance with the directives issued by the Pakistani government.
It has been revealed that the PCB is seeking clarification from the ICC regarding the reasons behind the BCCI's decision to not participate in the prestigious event, scheduled to take place in Pakistan in early 2025. The PCB is currently led by Mohsin Naqvi.
Furthermore, these sources have disclosed that the PCB has engaged in discussions with the Pakistani government to ascertain the appropriate course of action.
On Sunday, reports emerged from Pakistani media outlets suggesting that the ICC had communicated in writing to the PCB regarding India's decision to not participate in the tournament, citing security concerns.
Given the strained political relations between the two countries, India has not visited Pakistan since 2008, the year they competed in the Asia Cup. Their last encounter in a bilateral series was in 2012-13, a white-ball series, and subsequent matches have primarily been held in ICC tournaments and Asia Cups.
India has consistently maintained its position of not traveling to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy, citing security issues. Earlier this year, Rajeev Shukla, the vice-president of the BCCI, expressed that India would only consider traveling to Pakistan with the approval of the Indian government.
It is noteworthy that Pakistan has previously hosted the Asia Cup, albeit in a hybrid format. During the tournament, India played its matches in Sri Lanka, while the remainder were hosted in Pakistan.
