Former PCB chief doubts India’s participation in Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy 2025

Former PCB chairman Khalid Mahmood has casted a shadow over the prospects of India participating in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy scheduled to be held in Pakistan. 

In a recent statement, Mahmood expressed skepticism about India's willingness to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, emphasizing the slim chances of such an agreement.

The former chief, a retired senior bureaucrat, noted that India's withdrawal would significantly impact the PCB and ICC financially due to the BCCI's economic influence and might prompt other Asian teams to withdraw as well.

"There are very, very slim chances they will agree to play in Pakistan," Mahmood remarked.

"India is the richest cricket board and carries a lot of clout. If they don't send their team to Pakistan I foresee even countries like Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh following their path," he said.

He advised the PCB to maintain a clear separation between sports and politics.

"Look the thing is at this level you can only lobby and try to convince other boards to be on your side. India has too much clout in the ICC it would do no good for Pakistan to adopt a tit for tat strategy," he said.

"Thing is when the BCCI says it can't send its team and will play its matches outside Pakistan, it does reduce the purpose for Pakistan of hosting an ICC event," he concluded.

The strained relations have prevented India from playing a bilateral series in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup. Their last series was hosted in India from December 2012 to January 2013, and since then, encounters between the two teams have been confined to ICC tournaments and Asia Cups.