Nawaz Sharif wants India to tour Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025

LONDON: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and former three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has urged India to tour Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, ARY News reported.

Speaking to journalists after arriving in London on Tuesday, the former prime minister emphasised Pakistan’s resolve to maintain good ties with all countries.

“Pakistan should have good relationships with the United States and also with its neighbouring countries,” Nawaz Sharif said.

The former Pakistan PM urged India to send its team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025, set for the February- March window next year.

The PML-N president stressed the importance of fostering good relationships with neighbouring countries as he expressed hope that India will soon tour Pakistan to play cricket.

His statement came amid uncertainty regarding India’s participation in the tournament as reports made rounds on media that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it not would send its team to Pakistan.

Following the reports, sources said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was mulling a range of responses to the BCCI, including a decision to refuse to compete against the Indian team at any alternate venue in future tournaments.

Earlier today, sources said that the PCB, on the directives from the federal government, communicated its concerns to the ICC, informing them of the Pakistani government’s firm stance on the matter.

The PCB in a letter penned to the International Cricket Council sought a clarification on BCCI’s refusal to tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025.

It is worth mentioning here that India has not visited Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup because of the ongoing political unrest between the two neighbours.

Pakistan, on the other hand, has visited India four times in the previous sixteen years. They most recently visited for the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 last year.