Champions Trophy 2024: Will India Play in Pakistan?

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) leaves it to the International Cricket Council to 

convince the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to send India’s team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, which will be held next year. 

The budget for the event was discussed but there were no conversations regarding the Champions Trophy schedule, a PCB source revealed. 

The Pakistan board has shared the event’s draft schedule and format and submitted the event budget. The board further said that it is now ICC to how soon they circulate, discuss, and confirm the schedule for the upcoming Champions Trophy.

The board suggested that team India matches will take place in Lahore only and the final and semi-final will also take place in the same venue. 

The PCB has also shared all the tax modalities, venue selection, and government clearance to host team India in Pakistan for the mega event. 

This is not the first time when the PCB expressed its interest in hosting the Champions Trophy, earlier in 2021, the PCB expressed the same desire under the chairmanship of Ehsan Mani. Resultantly, the board received hosting rights in 2022. Then all the documentation was completed when Ramiz Raza was the chairman of PCB.

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The PCB didn’t have any formal meeting with BCCI Secretary Jay Shah or any other officials during the ICC meeting. ICC needs confirmation from BCCI regarding its travel to Pakistan.

According to reports, ICC has already added supplementary expenses to its budget to address the scenarios if they had to conduct team India matches outside Pakistan. 

BCCI has always cleared its stand that playing in Pakistan is solely the Indian government’s decision. Previously, Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup 2023, but India played all its matches outside Pakistan, including the potential semi-final and final, which is slated to be held in Lahore. 

Reportedly, India is to play its match against Pakistan on March 1. PCB has completed all its duties as host nation and submitted a draft and budget to the ICC. Now ICC has to take the final decision to finalize the event’s logistics and secure the participation of India.