The Champions Trophy headlines Pakistan’s 2024-25 home season, but uncertainty remains over whether India will participate in the elite 50-overs tournament, being held for the first time since 2017.
Due to strained political relations, India has not visited Pakistan since 2008, with the cricket-mad nations only meeting in multi-team events.
Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup last year, but India played all their matches in Sri Lanka under a “hybrid model” due to lack of government permission to tour Pakistan.
Pakistan’s home fixtures, announced on Friday, also include test series against Bangladesh, England, and West Indies, followed by a 50-overs tri-series with New Zealand and South Africa in February next year.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is revamping Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium for the 2025 Champions Trophy, proposing the tournament be held from Feb 19 to March 5.
The International Cricket Council will announce the dates and venues for the tournament “in due course,” according to a PCB statement.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi emphasized the significance of hosting five top cricket-playing nations and several other countries for the Champions Trophy over the next eight months, highlighting Pakistan’s importance in the sport.
“We deeply value the participation of these teams and players, who will bring immense talent and competitive spirit to our fields,” Naqvi said.
Officials at the Board of Control for Cricket in India were unavailable for comment, but BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla recently stated they would only go if the Delhi government approves.
Pakistan won the last edition of the Champions Trophy in England in 2017 before it was discontinued due to a crowded calendar. It is being reintroduced as the ICC aims to stage a major event every year.
