India prefers to play its matches in Dubai rather than in Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
Following a recent meeting between India not to travel to Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar and External
Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the fringes of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Islamabad, there were rumors that India might visit Pakistan, India not to travel to Pakistan.
The 50-overs ICC tournament, which will be hosted in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, will include the top eight teams in the globe. It will run from February 19 to March 9. According to those with knowledge, the BCCI has remained firm in its stance toward Pakistan “after consulting with the government.” Despite pressure from hosts Pakistan, India was able to move their Asia Cup matches to Sri Lanka last year.
Following India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar last month on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Islamabad, there were expectations that cricket would return to normalcy in the region.
This was the first high-level direct discussion between countries with a contentious history since 2015. Following this friendly encounter, there were rumors that a thaw was imminent and that cricket matches would resume. Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, the chairman of the PCB and Pakistan’s interior minister, was allegedly also in the loop. There were murmurs in the diplomatic corridors for India to go to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
To persuade India to cross the border, even the PCB was going to great lengths. After each match, the BCCI was offered the option by the Pakistani board to have their squad return to India. The two boards will restart their tug-of-war in the upcoming days, so it appears that nothing has worked.
International teams like Bangladesh and England have recently played in Pakistan. India last visited Pakistan at the Asia Cup in 2008.
