US reacts to India's refusal to play ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan

The United States has weighed in on India’s decision to not play the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, emphasizing the importance of sports diplomacy in bridging divides, ARY News reported quoting US State Department.

During a press briefing in Washington, Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State stressed that sports have the power to connect people and foster cultural understanding.

Patel’s comments came at the time when India’s refused to send its cricket team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025, citing security concerns.

“Sports is indeed a powerful connecting force… It’s something we know is incredibly important to the US State Department,” the US spokesperson said.

In response to a separate question, Patel condemned the blast on Railway Station in Quetta, saying that the US “condemn the BLA Majeed Brigade’s November 9th bombing at a railway station, and we extend our deepest condolences to the victims and their families.”

“We have a shared interest in combating these kinds of threats with Pakistan. We have a shared commitment to regional security. The U.S. itself has designated the BLA as a specially designated global terrorist organization. We did that back in 2019. And at the end of the day, we’re going to continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Pakistan in its fight against terrorism and violent extremism” he added.

ICC Champions Trophy 2025

The comments from US US State Department spokerperson 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’s 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.