Mon Nov 11 19:52:21 UTC 2024: ## Pakistan Threatens to Withdraw from Champions Trophy 2025 Over India Standoff
**ISLAMABAD** – Tensions between India and Pakistan are escalating, potentially jeopardizing the upcoming Champions Trophy in 2025. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed they will not travel to Pakistan for the tournament, a decision backed by the International Cricket Council (ICC). In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has now reportedly sent the ICC’s confirmation to the Pakistani government, who are now considering withdrawing from the event entirely.
The PCB has already rejected a hybrid model for the tournament, which would have seen India play their matches at a neutral venue. Now, a source speaking to Dawn.com claims the Pakistani government is considering asking the PCB to withdraw from the Champions Trophy altogether. The source adds that the government is “looking at the issue very seriously.”
Further, Pakistan is reportedly considering refusing to play India in any future ICC or Asian Cricket Council (ACC) tournaments until the political issues between the two nations are resolved. This comes after last year’s Asia Cup was held under a hybrid model, with India’s matches taking place in Sri Lanka.
The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan was in 2012, and since then the two nations have only met in ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup. This standoff threatens to further isolate Pakistan from the international cricketing community, as they have not hosted an ICC event since the 1996 World Cup.
The Champions Trophy is scheduled for February 19th to March 9th, 2025, in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi. The fate of the tournament now hangs in the balance as the diplomatic situation between India and Pakistan remains volatile.
First Piper 