The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has been vocal about its participation in the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to be held in Pakistan next year. The officials of the Afghanistan Cricket Board have reportedly assured Pakistan of their commitment to send their team to the ICC tournament in early 2025.
According to recent reports, the Pakistan Cricket Board will host the 2025 Champions Trophy from February 19 to March 9. It will be its first major cricket event since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup. The tournament will feature the participation of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, England and Afghanistan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is looking to host the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy entirely in Pakistan. However, India is likely to refuse to travel to the neighbouring country, which poses a major concern for the PCB. The Indian government might decide not to send its team to Pakistan for the tournament.
Will Afghanistan travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy?
Earlier, reports suggested that Afghanistan might follow in India’s footsteps and not participate in the 2025 Champions Trophy. However, Afghan officials have reportedly dismissed these rumours and confirmed their willingness to send a team for their first Champions Trophy event, scheduled for February-March 2025.
Afghanistan Cricket Board President Mirwais Ashraf and CEO Naseeb Khan met PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi at the ICC annual meeting in Colombo. This meeting came after discussions on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s desire to host the entire ICC tournament and its opposition to the proposed hybrid model.
During the meeting, officials of the Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed to PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi that Afghanistan will participate in the 2025 Champions Trophy. They dismissed rumours about the possibility of not participating in the tournament and expressed their excitement to compete in their first Champions Trophy.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board has announced plans to host a potential Youth Tri-Series with Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. Talks also included organising A-team tours to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Specific dates and venues for these events are yet to be finalised.
“The discussions also included tours of the A team to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and the possibility of a Youth Tri-Series against Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, with dates and venues to be confirmed,” the ACB said in a press release.
No dialogue took place, says BCCI official
The ICC Annual Conference in Colombo did not address the issue of the 2025 Champions Trophy as it was not on the agenda of the Annual General Meeting (AGM). A senior BCCI official confirmed that there were no talks between the BCCI and the PCB at the event.
“It was not on the agenda, so it was not raised or discussed during the AGM,” says an official who attended the AGM.
“This is not a bilateral meeting where two boards will hold talks. There was no dialogue between us and the PCB on the Champions Trophy. Since it was not on any of the agendas, it was not discussed during the AGM either. There is still time left and the ICC will take care of it,” said a senior BCCI official.
Also read: “The ultimate goal is to be the best player in the world,” Nitish Kumar Reddy’s hint to Hardik Pandya
