Denying any communication from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over India’s reluctance to play next year’s ICC Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan, as reported by multiple media outlets, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi said that he is yet to hear anything from the Indian board.

According to multiple reports, the Indian cricket team is unlikely to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy, which returns after a gap of eight years, and could play all their matches at a neutral venue. The reports also suggested that the BCCI has expressed its reservations in a recent communication to the PCB, citing security concerns, and expressed willingness to play all the India matches in the UAE.

However, Naqvi rubbished all reports, saying he has not received anything in writing, and if he receives an official communication, only then he can share it with the media and the Pakistan government.

“I have not received anything in writing. If we receive something in writing, I will immediately share it with you and the government, and then we will decide what needs to be done,” Naqvi told reporters.

“For 2 months, there have been reports in the Indian media that the Indian team won’t come to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. We have a clear stance, they should give us their stance in writing if they have any issues. Till now, we haven’t heard anything regarding the hybrid model and we are also not ready to hear about it,” he added.

Cricket should not be mixed with politics: Naqvi

Urging his counterparts in the Indian cricket board to not mix cricket with politics, Naqvi said that the PCB is taking all measures to make it a successful tournament.

“We want cricket to not be mixed with politics. There should be no politics. We are preparing for the Champions Trophy, we hope it will be a successful tournament,” said Naqvi.

“If the Indian team eventually does not come here, then we would be required to go to our government. Then whatever they decide, we will have to abide by that. For the past few years, Pakistan has been doing good gestures, but every time we are not obligated to make good gestures,” he added.

The PCB had earlier shortlisted three venues — Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore — to host the ICC Champions Trophy matches, scheduled from February 19 to March 9. It was also widely reported that all the India games were scheduled in Lahore, considering the proximity to the Attari border.

The whispers around India traveling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy started growing louder after last month’s meeting between India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting at Islamabad. It was learnt that Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister, was also in loop during the conversation, a first at the top level between the two countries since 2015.

With the International Cricket Council (ICC) likely to announce the schedule for the Champions Trophy on November 11, the uncertainty over India’s travel plans could now delay the announcement, as the BCCI has always maintained that the final call will be taken by the Indian government.

The ICC Champions Trophy is the first major event that Pakistan has been assigned to host in almost a decade. The country had last co-hosted the 1996 ODI World Cup with India and Sri Lanka. It was supposed to co-host the 2011 edition of the tournament, but its rights were stripped after a terrorist attack on a touring Sri Lankan team’s bus in 2009. The tournament was then played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

While the Indian team hasn’t travelled to Pakistan ever since the 2008 Asia Cup, Pakistan has visited India on three occasions: for a white-ball series from late December 2012 to January 2013, the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup, and the 2023 ODI World Cup, which was entirely hosted by India.