The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced the Champions Trophy 2025 tour schedule as the silverware arrived in Islamabad.
In an Instagram post, the PCB announced that the trophy tour will kick off in the capital city on November 16.
“The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour kicks off in Islamabad on 16 November, also visiting scenic travel destinations like Skardu, Murree, Hunza and Muzaffarabad. Catch a glimpse of the trophy which Sarfaraz Ahmed lifted in 2017 at The Oval, from 16-24 November,” it wrote in the caption of the post.
Pakistan is set to host the tournament in the February- March window next year.
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The announcement of the trophy tour came amid uncertainty regarding the schedule of the tournament after the Indian government refused to send its team to Pakistan for the event.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) was set to release the schedule earlier this week, however, the ambiguity regarding India’s travel plans to Pakistan resulted in a delay in the announcement of the schedule.
It is to be noted here that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed the ICC on November 9 that India would not travel to Pakistan to participate in the Champions Trophy 2025.
Reports said that the Pakistan Cricket Board communicated its concerns to the International Cricket Council after India’s decision.
In its letter, the PCB informed the ICC of the Pakistani government’s firm stance on the matter while seeking clarification on BCCI’s refusal to tour Pakistan.
It may be noted 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.