ICC cancels PCB's Champions Trophy tour in PoK

Following India's refusal to tour Pakistan for the ICC marquee event, the PCB had decided to conduct a 'trophy tour' which now has been put on hold.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has cancelled the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) proposed tour for the 2025 Champions Trophy in three Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) cities, according to multiple media reports.

Earlier, following India's refusal to tour Pakistan for the ICC marquee event, the PCB decided to conduct a 'trophy tour' ahead of the competition in multiple destinations in the country - which include areas that are part of PoK.

In a post on social media platform X, the PCB said, "Get ready, Pakistan! The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour kicks off in Islamabad on 16 November, also visiting scenic travel destinations like Skardu, Murree, Hunza and Muzaffarabad. Catch a glimpse of the trophy which Sarfaraz Ahmed lifted in 2017 at The Oval, from 16-24 November."

Incidentally, Skardu, Hunza and Muzaffarabad, are all part of the much-disputed PoK, which India has time and again asserted to be its own.

Things escalated when the PCB on November 10 confirmed that India had informed ICC about its unwillingness to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled in February-March next year.

Adding more drama to the fiasco, Pakistan on Thursday said that no back channel diplomacy was going on with India after the BCCI refused to send its cricket team for the Champions Trophy.

“There is no back channel with India to specifically discuss the Champions Trophy and bilateral cricket between Pakistan and India,” said Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokesperson of the Pakistan Foreign Office.

(With PTI inputs)