‘Build a stadium on India-Pakistan border’ – Ahmed Shehzad makes bizarre suggestion for hosting Champions Trophy 2025

‘Build a stadium by the India-Pakistan border’ – Ahmed Shehzad makes bizarre suggestion for hosting Champions Trophy 2025. (Source – Twitter/X)

The ICC tournaments are the biggest events in cricket with the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 done, the focus now shifts to the Champions Trophy 2025. This is an event played by the top eight teams in ODIs, and the upcoming edition will be co-hosted in Pakistan and Dubai, after originally being allotted as an exclusive right only to the former.

The ICC has finally decided on the hybrid model for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 with India matches to be played in Dubai due to their refusal to travel to Pakistan amidst political tensions with Pakistan. However, just before the final call was made, former Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad’s bizarre statement on how the arch-rivals can still play together on their home turfs, which would be neutral venues at the same time.

This was a tournament that had a lot of debate, with the BCCI not willing to send their players to Pakistan, which led to the ICC finally settling for the hybrid model. However, there were some suggestions given by some experts on how both India and Pakistan can play in their home turfs. On the same topic, Shehzad made a bizarre suggestion during, speaking on Nadir Ali podcast, as he suggested that the cricketing body should build a stadium on the Indo-Pak border.

“When I did a podcast, I suggested the idea of building a stadium by the border. One gate would be towards India, the other gate would be towards Pakistan. The players would come from the respective gates and play,” the Lahore-born said.

“But even then there would be issues for the BCCI and their government. When their players come to the field by our side, they would need visas, which they would not get,” he added.

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Meanwhile, the Men in Green will be going into the Champions Trophy as the reigning champions, having won the 2017 edition under the captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed. This was the first Champions Trophy and third ICC event overall won by Pakistan. They will enter the contest in the upcoming 2025 edition with the aim of retaining their title, especially at home.