"Champions Trophy won't be played here if there is any incident in these tours" - Basit Ali urges Pakistan to amp up security ahead of home season
Former cricketer Basit Ali believes that Pakistan needs to pay utmost attention to security on the road to the 2025 Champions Trophy. The tournament will be the first ICC event on Pakistani soil since the 1996 ODI World Cup, which they co-hosted alongside India and Sri Lanka.
Basit pointed out that Pakistan must ensure that there isn't any security breach in their upcoming home series against Bangladesh, England, and West Indies.
Speaking in his latest YouTube video, the cricketer-turned-expert said (from 1:32):
"Since the Champions Trophy is in Pakistan, and teams like England and West Indies are scheduled to tour after Bangladesh, we must pay attention to security. God forbid, the Champions Trophy won't be played here if there is any incident in these tours. Our soldiers are getting martyred in Balochistan and Peshawar. Only the government can answer why it has been happening, but it's wrong."
While foreign teams have visited Pakistan in the recent past, New Zealand abandoned their tour in 2021 just before the ODI series opener citing security concerns. Later that year, England also pulled out of their tour to Pakistan.
Any such developments in the coming months could shatter the nation's hopes of hosting the ICC 2025 Champions Trophy.
"The foreign teams should get the same security as our Prime Minister and President" - Basit Ali
In the aforementioned video, Basit Ali opined that the visiting teams should be given the same kind of security Pakistan's prime minister and president get.
He suggested that Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would know that his priority is to give the foreign teams top-notch security, remarking (from 2:19):
"We must ensure that there is not even a small security breach. The foreign teams should get the same security as our Prime Minister and President. I am sure Mohsin Naqvi will be aware of these things."
The Men in Green's home season kicks off on August 21 with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh.