Vikrant Shekhawat : Oct 19, 2024, 07:00 AM
Champions Trophy 2025: The Champions Trophy 2025 is to be held in Pakistan, and discussions are already hot about it. The question is whether the Indian cricket team will go to Pakistan for this tournament or not. The Indian team has not visited Pakistan for a long time due to the strained relations between India and Pakistan over the years and security concerns. This time too, this remains the main issue. However, there has been no concrete statement from the BCCI and the ICC on this issue, and the decision of the Government of India will be final on this. The recent development that has further intensified these discussions is the visit of Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar to Pakistan, which has again increased the speculation.Pakistan prepared a special plan for the Indian teamAccording to media reports, Pakistan has prepared a special plan to play India in the Champions Trophy. According to a report by Cricbuzz, this tournament was also discussed in the talks between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan. During this, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) President Mohsin Naqvi was also present. It is believed that after this conversation, Pakistan has prepared a unique proposal for the Indian team.The PCB has written a letter to the BCCI, in which a new suggestion has been given regarding the security of Indian players. If the Indian team is not ready to stay in Pakistan due to security reasons, then the PCB is ready to allow Indian players to return to India after every match. Under this plan, Indian players can stay in nearby cities like Chandigarh or New Delhi and return to Pakistan for the next match.Plan to organize all the matches of the Indian team in LahoreThe PCB has proposed to organize all the matches of India in Lahore. Lahore is closest to the Pakistan-India border, which can make travel easier for the Indian team and fans. Apart from this, Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium is fully ready for international matches and is also considered safe from the security point of view.However, Pakistan has selected a total of three venues for this tournament, including Rawalpindi and Karachi along with Lahore. It is believed that the Indian team will play three matches in the league stage, including matches against Bangladesh on February 20, Pakistan on February 23 and New Zealand on March 2. Although this schedule is not official yet, the PCB has prepared such a program for the Indian team and sent it to the ICC.What will happen if India refuses to tour?If the Indian team refuses to tour Pakistan, the PCB and the ICC have also prepared a backup plan. The participation of the Indian team is considered extremely important for this tournament, as it has great importance from the fan following and business point of view of Indian cricket. In such a situation, the ICC and the PCB are taking this issue seriously and are trying to find a solution between the two countries.Will India-Pakistan cricket relations improve?Cricket matches between India and Pakistan have always been a matter of excitement and discussion, but due to political and security reasons, bilateral series are not being held between the two countries. The Champions Trophy 2025 is expected to improve the cricket relations between the two countries. However, the final decision will depend on the guarantee of security and the decision of the Indian government regarding the Indian team's visit to Pakistan.ConclusionThe suspense remains over the participation of the Indian team in the Champions Trophy 2025. Pakistan has prepared a special plan to ensure the safety of the players, but the final decision is in the hands of the Indian government and BCCI. Now it remains to be seen how the two countries agree on this issue, and whether the Indian cricket team goes to Pakistan and becomes a part of this much-awaited tournament.