Hasan Ali claims Indian cricketers keen to play in Champions Trophy in Pakistan

Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali has weighed in on the ongoing debate about the venue for the 2025 Champions Trophy, asserting that Indian players are keen to participate in the tournament in Pakistan.

In an interview with a local sports channel, Hasan stated that Indian cricketers have expressed their desire to play in front of Pakistani crowds, and convincing them is not an issue.

"It will be a massive change in Pakistan cricket and for Pakistan as a country too if whole Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan. I dont think so we need to convince the Indian players and you know why because Indian players said in their interviews that they want to go to Pakistan, they want to play Indian cricket infront of Pakistan crowd," Hasan said.

Despite these sentiments, Hasan pointed out that there may be concerns stemming from government positions which could affect the decision on hosting the event in Pakistan.

"But I think there's something else that is coming from the government and the government don't want to send their teams to Pakistan but I would say Champions Trophy should be in Pakistan because that would be the turning point for Pakistan cricket team," he further added.

The Pakistani pacer also highlighted recent international tours to the country, mentioning that teams from Australia, England, and Sri Lanka have visited Pakistan and found it to be a safe environment for cricket. 

“Recently Australia, England, Sri Lanka—all these teams have come to Pakistan and they have felt safe,” he concluded.

It is worth noting that the Champions Trophy is scheduled to run from February 19 to March 9, 2025.The PCB has designated three venues for the eight-match tournament: Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore. According to the PCB's proposed schedule, all of India's matches are set to take place in Lahore.