"If India doesn’t want to come, we’ll play without them" - Hasan Ali on Men in Blue's participation in 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan
Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali has remarked that the 2025 Champions Trophy should go on with or without India's presence. The Men in Blue are currently contemplating a potential travel to Pakistan to participate in the tournament, but have several diplomatic obstacles to overcome.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have reportedly suggested a hybrid model that will allow Team India to play their matches either in Sri Lanka or in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on the other hand, have remained firm with their stance to host the entirety of the tournament.
The PCB have considered hosting India's matches in Lahore, which will ensure minimal travel for the visitors, but that is seemingly as far as they might go in terms of compromise. The ongoing International Cricket Council (ICC) annual conference in Colombo is expected to yield a resolution to this matter, with the top brass from BCCI and PCB attending the meeting.
“If we’re going there (to India) to play, then they should come to Pakistan too. A lot of people have said countless times that sports should stay away from politics. But if you look at it from another angle, many Indian players have said in interviews that they want to play in Pakistan. So, it doesn’t mean that the team doesn’t want to come; they definitely do. But obviously, they have their own policies, country, and board to consider," Hasan said on Samaa TV.
“As our (PCB) chairman has already said, if the Champions Trophy is going to be held in Pakistan, then it will be in Pakistan. If India doesn’t want to come, we’ll play without them. Cricket should be played in Pakistan, and if India doesn’t want to participate, it doesn’t mean cricket has ended. There are many other teams besides India," he added.
Pakistan lost a similar battle in 2023 when the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) agreed to a hybrid model at India's request. As a result, the Men in Blue played all of their matches in Sri Lanka.
2025 Champions Trophy will be the first major tournament hosted by Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup
The 2025 Champions Trophy will be a landmark event for Pakistan cricket, as it will put them back on the cricketing map. They had to prove that they were capable of organizing such a large-scale event by successfully hosting numerous bilateral series in recent times.
Their last large-scale international cricket event came in the form of the 2008 Asia Cup, which also marked the last time Team India toured Pakistan.
The Men in Green were forced to play their home matches in the UAE following an attack on the Sri Lankan team in 2009 in Lahore. Even when they started hosting matches on home soil gain, several teams were hesitant to travel due to security concerns.