The Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled the schedule of worldwide trophy tour for the Males’s Champions Trophy 2025, revising the itinerary to exclude cities in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) following a proper protest by the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI). The announcement got here on Saturday, simply days after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially included disputed areas in its proposed route.
PoK cities dropped from CT 2025 Trophy Tour after BCCI’s objection
The controversy started on November 14, when the PCB introduced the trophy tour’s schedule, which listed cities akin to Skardu, Hunza and Muzaffarabad in PoK. These inclusions prompted a swift response from the BCCI, whose secretary, Jay Shah, filed a robust objection with the ICC, citing the delicate nature of the disputed territory between India and Pakistan.
Responding promptly, the ICC revised the itinerary, dropping the contentious PoK cities from the schedule. The trophy tour in Pakistan will now embrace Karachi, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Abbottabad, in addition to locations like Taxila, Khanpur, Murree and Nathia Gali. The tour will start in Islamabad on November 17 and conclude in Karachi from November 22-25.
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Revised Schedule for Trophy Tour in Pakistan
- November 17: Islamabad
- November 18: Abbottabad
- November 19: Murree
- November 20: Nathia Gali
- November 22-25: Karachi
International tour particulars
Following its journey throughout Pakistan, the Trophy will proceed its international tour, visiting a number of cricketing nations, together with Afghanistan (November 26-28), Bangladesh (December 10-13), South Africa (December 15-22), Australia (December 25-January 5), New Zealand (January 6-11), England (January 12-14), and India (January 15-26). Particular cities for the worldwide legs of the tour are but to be introduced.
The ICC’s launch highlighted the interactive components of the trophy tour, which can mix bodily and digital engagements. Followers can count on a collection of occasions at iconic areas, sporting arenas, and worldwide cricket fixtures. A devoted content material collection, Champion on tour, will doc the trophy’s journey, exploring the intersections of cricket, music and meals.
India’s stand on internet hosting and hybrid mannequin discussions
Whereas the trophy tour progresses, uncertainties persist over the event’s internet hosting preparations. India, the 2025 Champions Trophy co-host with Pakistan, has refused to journey to Pakistan for the competitors, citing political tensions. The ICC is reportedly in discussions with the PCB to resolve the state of affairs, contemplating alternate options akin to a hybrid mannequin or relocating the occasion to impartial venues just like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or South Africa.
Defending champions and historic context
Pakistan enters the 2025 Champions Trophy because the defending champions, having gained the 2017 version at The Oval, the place they defeated India in a one-sided ultimate. Nonetheless, geopolitical complexities proceed to shadow the event, impacting not simply the trophy tour however the broader preparations for the marquee occasion.
Because the Trophy embarks on its international journey, the revised tour displays the ICC’s effort to navigate political sensitivities whereas sustaining the event’s international enchantment. Followers worldwide eagerly await the beginning of the competitors, scheduled for February 19.