Afghanistan’s confirmation of its participation in the competition has given the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) a significant boost in its campaign to successfully host the ICC Champions Trophy early in the following year.
Afghanistan’s confirmation of its participation in the competition has given the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) a significant boost in its campaign to successfully host the ICC Champions Trophy early in the following year. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was seen by CEO Naseeb Khan and President Mirwais Ashraf of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, who were in Colombo for the ICC Annual Board Meeting. They assured him of this. “They told the chairman that Afghanistan is looking forward to sending its team to Pakistan since they are participating in the Champions Trophy for the first time,” according to the PCB.
“They gave the assurance after speculations about some countries following India’s path if the BCCI decides not to send its team to Pakistan for the event,” he stated.
People in Pakistan generally believe that the BCCI can easily push other boards in the region, including as those in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, to follow its lead due to its financial clout and influence.
In a recent interview, former PCB chairman Khalid Mehmood asserted that if India did not send a team to Pakistan, then teams like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka would be expected to follow suit and insist on playing the competition at a different location.
However, the ACB representatives gave Naqvi the assurance that Afghanistan would compete in the 2025 Champions Trophy, which Pakistan will host in February and March, during their meeting in Colombo.
Since Pakistan co-hosted the World Cup alongside India and Sri Lanka in 1996, the Champions Trophy is the first significant ICC tournament that is planned for the country.
