"ICC should not schedule Indo-Pak matches until and unless there is a bilateral series" - Kamran Akmal on 2025 Champions Trophy scheduling standoff
Former wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal feels the ICC should ban India-Pakistan clashes in multi-national tournaments if bilateral series between the sides continue to be on hold. Akmal's remarks come in the midst of the continuing standoff between India and Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, which will be played in Pakistan in February.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated that the Indian side would not travel to Pakistan for the tournament, citing security reasons. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not give way to the request for a hybrid model to be followed until finally succumbing as per recent reports.
While an official decision is still awaited, Akmal weighed in on the same in a conversation with Telecom Asia Sport.
"The ICC has to make a decision sometime and I think this is the right time to find a permanent solution. If this Champions Trophy adopts a hybrid model with India not coming to Pakistan, then all other ICC events in India should adopt the same pattern with Pakistan not touring India. In my opinion, another solution is that the ICC should not schedule Indo-Pak matches until and unless there is a bilateral series. Once they start playing each other then only we should have matches in a multi-national event," he said.
India and Pakistan last played in a bilateral series in 2012/13 when Pakistan toured India for white-ball games.
Meanwhile, Team India's last trip to Pakistan was way back in 2008 for the 50-over Asia Cup.
"Enough is enough" - Kamran Akmal
Kamran Akmal, however, expressed his disappointment at the Indian side not traveling to Pakistan despite the latter willingly playing ICC events in India as recently as the ODI World Cup last year.
The Men in Blue played the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan via a hybrid model with their games played in Sri Lanka.
"I am disappointed to see such a scenario but enough is enough as Pakistan have toured India despite one 2016 World Cup match shifted from Dharamshala to Kolkata and then Pakistan played in Ahmedabad last year despite reservations," said Akmal (as per the aforementioned source).
He continued:
"Pakistan will have to take a strong decision and stick to it. That will help Pakistan create a good image. On one hand, they don't want to play us in Pakistan on political issues but on the other hand, they play us in their country and that is a double standard."
Should the hybrid model be finalized in the coming days, India will likely play their 2025 Champions Trophy games in Dubai.