A new dispute has erupted over the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan and Dubai, with India objecting to the name ‘Pakistan’ (the host nation) being written on the team’s jersey. India will play their Champions Trophy games in Dubai, with Pakistan being the tournament’s official host. The Pakistan Cricket Board and the International Cricket Council agreed to a hybrid format following India’s rejection to send a squad to Pakistan.
The hostname of the shirt has sparked a new debate. In an interview with IANS, a PCB official accused the BCCI of putting ‘politics into cricket’ by refusing to print Pakistan’s name on Team India shirts. Earlier, the Indian board reportedly rejected to send skipper Rohit Sharma to Pakistan for the captains’ meet, which serves as a curtain-raiser for the Champions Trophy. Despite strong pressure from the PCB, the BCCI maintained its stand.
They did not send Team India to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. The BCCI informed the ICC that they did not obtain authorisation from the Indian government, citing security concerns. Finally, the ICC adopted the hybrid model. Finally, the Pakistan Cricket Board had to accede to India’s requirements, even though the new agreement would preclude the PCB from sending teams to India for future ICC competitions.
Cricket Becomes a Battlefield
With the Champions Trophy just a month away, new incidents continue to make headlines. However, despite the PCB official’s claim that Rohit will not travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opening ceremony and pre-tournament captains’ press conference, the BCCI has not provided any specific information. Before the tournament begins, all of the captains gather under one roof for a press conference, as is traditional at all ICC events.
The PCB official, on condition of anonymity, told the agency, “BCCI is bringing politics into cricket, which is not at all good for the game. They refused to travel to Pakistan. They don’t want to send their captain (to Pakistan) for the opening ceremony, now there are reports that they don’t want the host nation’s (Pakistan) name printed on their jersey.”
