Champions Trophy 2025: Shahid Afridi breaks silence on BCCI, PCB standoff

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has opened up on the controversy surrounding the Champions Trophy 2025.

Speaking at the Urdu Conference, the former all-rounder urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to boycott cricket tournaments in India if it refuses to send its team to Pakistan.

“Pakistan cricket should be strong and self-sufficient and take strong principled decisions. If India can’t come and play in Pakistan then there is no reason for us to go and play any event in India,” Shahid Afridi said.

The former Pakistan captain emphasised the importance of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) role in resolving the standoff between the PCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“Even the ICC now has to decide whether its responsibility is to ensure every member nation gets to play cricket or it just wants to make money,” Shahid Afridi said.

His statement came a day after reports said that the PCB and BCCI have agreed on Pakistan’s ‘Fusion Formula,’ according to which India will not travel to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.

As per the formula, Pakistan will also not travel to India for the tournaments scheduled in India in the next three years.

ICC has three global events scheduled in Pakistan and India between 2024 and 2027: the Champions Trophy in Pakistan (February 2025), the women’s ODI World Cup in India (2025), and the men’s T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka (2026).

It is worth noting here that the BCCI, last month, refused to send its team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled in Pakistan in the February-March window next year.

India proposed a hybrid model for the tournament, insisting on playing its matches at a neutral venue instead of travelling to Pakistan.

This disagreement has delayed the announcement of the final schedule and venues for the event.