Since the past few weeks, there has been widespread apprehension about Afghanistan’s potential non-participation in the 2025 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy. The prevailing perception in Pakistan was that, due to its financial clout and influence, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could easily induce other regional boards, including those of Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, to either play their matches in Sri Lanka or other locations or abstain from the tournament entirely.
However, during a meeting in Colombo, officials of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) assured the chairperson of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, of Afghanistan’s commitment to participate in the ninth edition of the 50-over tournament, which Pakistan is scheduled to host in February and March of next year.
The ACB President, Mirwais Ashraf, and CEO, Naseeb Khan, who were in Colombo for the ICC Annual Conference, conferred with Chairman of PCB, Mohsin Naqvi and assured Afghanistan’s participation. An official from the PCB remarked that Afghanistan was eager to send its team to Pakistan and participate in the tournament for the first time.
“They told the chairman that Afghanistan is looking forward to sending its team to Pakistan since they are participating in the Champions Trophy for the first time,” an official from the PCB stated, as quoted by NDTV Sports.
In a recent interview, former PCB Chairman, Khalid Mehmood, asserted that if India were to withdraw its team from Pakistan, it could prompt other teams to follow suit and insist on relocating the competition to an alternative venue.
However, during the meeting in Colombo, ACB officials assured Naqvi of Afghanistan’s commitment to participating in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
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Significantly, the 2025 Champions Trophy will mark the first major ICC event held in Pakistan since it’s co-hosting of the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka. Additionally, it will represent Afghanistan’s inaugural appearance in this prestigious tournament, contingent on forthcoming developments.