Pakistan National Cricket Team pacer Shaheen Afridi gave his opinion on the fact that the Indian National Cricket Team did not visit Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He said that if the Rohit Sharma-led team had visited their country, they would have shown true hospitality.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 schedule is now available and the tournament will be held in a hybrid model with matches to be played in Pakistan and Dubai. The tournament will begin on February 19 and the final will take place on March 9 in either Dubai or Pakistan.
Hybrid model for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 emerged after India denied travel to Pakistan
The hybrid model for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 emerged after the Indian national cricket team denied traveling to Pakistan. This got the BCCI and the PCB into many fights, but in the end, it was the two-nation formula that was accepted, and will apply to all events in India and Pakistan until 2027.
The Indian national cricket team will play its matches in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai. A semi-final will also be played there. In the context of the final, if the Rohit Sharma-led team makes it there, it will be held in Dubai, but if they don’t, a summit clash will be held in Pakistan.
With India not agreeing to play in Pakistan, the dream of seeing Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and other superstars playing in Pakistan will remain a dream. Both archrivals will meet on February 23.
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If India had toured Pakistan, we would have shown true hospitality – Shaheen Afridi
Shaheen Afridi subtly expressed his desire to see India play in Pakistan and said that if they had toured Pakistan, they would have been treated well. But they are not shying away from taking on the challenge and say they are ready to play wherever India wants to play. According to Geo Super, he explained:
“If India had been touring Pakistan, we would have shown real hospitality. Wherever they play now, we are ready to compete.”
My job is to play, not to do politics – Shaheen Afridi
Shaheen Afridi added that his job is to play cricket and not get involved in politics. He said wearing a green jersey is an honor for him and gives him a feeling of pride. He elaborated:
“My job is to play, not to get involved in politics. Wearing a green jersey is an honor for me and I want to play for Pakistan. Representing the country gives me a feeling of pride.”
Shaheen Afridi will be extremely important for the Pakistan National Cricket Team ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The fast bowler was struggling to get going of late but regained his form in the series against the South Africa National Cricket Team.
Shaheen Afridi was the leading wicket-taker for the Pakistan national cricket team in the three-match series. He picked 7 wickets and was one of the main reasons behind the Mohammad Rizwan-led team whitewashing the South Africa national cricket team. It was the first time that the Proteas failed to win a single game in the ODI series at home.