DUBAI- The ICC is confident that teams will have no reservations travelling to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy despite over a decade-long scepticism about playing in that part of the world.
The ICC last week awarded the hosting rights of the 2025 Champions Trophy to Pakistan. It will mark the return of major cricketing event to Pakistan after more than two decades. The last time Pakistan had an ICC event on its soil was when it co-hosted the 1996 World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka.
It has not been able to host many international games in the country since the 2009 terrorist attack on Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore. “The answer is, from what we can see so far, absolutely (teams will travel),” ICC chair Greg Barclay said replying to PTI’s query during a media roundtable.
“ICC cricket event is coming back to Pakistan after many years. All of it with the exception of what happened in the last few weeks has gone ahead without any issues at all,” added Barclay, who was joined by ICC CEO Geoff Allardice.
In September, New Zealand and England had pulled out of their bilateral tours to Pakistan due to security concerns. Barclay insisted that the governing body wouldn’t have awarded the hosting rights to Pakistan if it wasn’t confident of the event going ahead successfully.
“So, we wouldn’t have awarded the event if we didn’t think the Pakistan were capable of hosting it. “We think it’s an exciting opportunity, a prospect for them to be able to host a world’s event for the first time for a period of quite a period of time.”
“It’s not until 2025 and I’m sure that they will, as all countries are required to do, put together the appropriate security plans and assurances to ensure that they can be as delivered.
“So yes, we were comfortable and confident that we’ll go ahead,” Barclay added.
India’s participation in the tournament remains a doubt as no bilateral cricket has taken place between the two neighbours since 2012 due to diplomatic tensions after terror attacks in India. Sports Minister Anurag Thakur last week said a decision on India’s participation in the Champions Trophy will be taken when the time comes as there are still security issues for international teams to tour the neighbouring country.
Barclay acknowledged that it will be challenging issue to work through and hoped the cricket could bring improvement in the relations between the two neighbours.
“We know that it is particularly challenging issue to work through. I mean, from my point of view, I can’t control geopolitical forces are working on what we do.
“But I just hope that cricket can be forced to perhaps help improve relationships between them. “One of the great things that sport can do is to help to bring people in nations together. So, if we can do something and in a small way to contribute to that, then that’s fantastic,” he added.
2-Year T20 WC Cycle Important For Growth Of cricket: ICC
The ICC on Monday asserted that a two-year T20 Word Cup cycle is important for the growth of the game as it is the format that is contested by all the members.
The global governing body last week announced the schedule of ICC events from 2024-2031 with a tournament slated to be played every year.
“We’ve got different events in different formats. I think the decision to play T20 World Cups every two years is a conscious one to try and position T20 as the growth format of the game across all of our members,” ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said, replying to PTI’s query during a media round table.
“The tournament we’ve just finished in the UAE and Oman was the first one in five years which, given the amount of T20 International cricket being played and the fact that so many of our members are playing that format, is too long.
“The aim is to get it on a two-year rotation so that in terms of that event that becomes a more consistent frequency.”
In the recent T20 Word Cup, there was a trend that teams winning the toss and opting to bowl would emerge victorious. Asked about it, Allardice assured that the same wouldn’t be the case during the next edition.
“One of the things about cricket is that when a certain trend establishes itself, the teams and opponents work out a way to counter that. I think if there’s a perception that winning the toss, winning the game existed in this tournament, I’m sure when the teams gather in Australia in 12 months the dynamic will be different.
“And I think, whether it’s tactics, talking to various people, it didn’t seem to be one obvious reason why that was the case. And I’m sure that coaches and the analysts and the players will work out a way to counter that.”
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