PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi orders complete silence on India's Champions Trophy 2025 participation: Reports
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi reportedly doesn't want any PCB official to comment or react to rumors of India not sending its team to participate in the Champions Trophy 2025. The tournament will be hosted by Pakistan in February next year.
According to a report by Cricket Pakistan, Naqvi's directive to PCB officials is a reaction to BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla claiming that Pakistan would have a strong reaction if the Men in Blue refused to travel to Pakistan for the ICC event.
Here's what a PCB source told PTI:
"That is why, in recent days, there is no comments or statement coming from either Naqvi or any other board official on what will happen if India doesn’t send its team to Pakistan. The PCB has sent the draft schedule and submitted all other documents, including security plans for each team, to the ICC. "
The source added that it is the onus of the ICC to convince India to send its team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
"A strategy has been finalized" - Another source on reaction to India's participation
Another source told PTI that while Mohsin Naqvi doesn't want to reveal the reaction of the PCB if the Men in Blue refuse to travel to Pakistan, a strategy has already been put in place as to what their reaction would be. The source further claimed that PCB officials are waiting for the ICC to intervene and convince the BCCI to send its team.
"It is clear Naqvi doesn’t want to show the PCB’s cards on what will be the reaction of the board if India again refuses to send its team, but behind closed doors, after meetings with the government officials, a strategy has been finalized," the source said.
Pakistan had originally been named as the host of the 2023 Asia Cup, but the BCCI refused to send its team for the tournament as they didn't get clearance from the government. Thus, a hybrid model was put in place with Sri Lanka as co-hosts and the Men in Blue playing their all their games in Sri Lanka.