Why India’s Cricketers are Refusing to Play in Pakistan

The Champions Trophy is scheduled to take place in February 2025 in Pakistan, however, India’s reported refusal to travel there has caused disarray.

It will be Pakistan’s first hosting of a global cricket event since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.

The eight-team tournament is currently due to take place from February 19 to March 9.

The Champions Trophy returns to the international cricket calendar for the first time since Pakistan won the tournament in 2017.

But India’s unwillingness to play in its neighbouring country has threatened plans.

So why are India’s cricketers refusing to play in Pakistan?

The Original Plan

In the tournament, India and Pakistan will be joined by Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan.

The teams will be split into two groups, with the top two from both progressing to the semi-finals.

Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore were earmarked as the three host cities and a preliminary schedule draft initially left India playing all three group games at the same venue.

An official fixture list was scheduled to be announced on November 11.

However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has yet to announce their full schedule.

Why would India refuse to Travel to Pakistan?

Political tensions between the countries have led to the Indian team avoiding travel to Pakistan since 2008.

Meanwhile, the two countries have not played each other outside of men’s major tournaments since 2013.

The 2009 terror attacks on the Sri Lankan national team meant no country travelled to play there for the next six years, with India the only team not to tour and play there since international cricket returned to Pakistan in 2015.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed the ICC that India will not travel to Pakistan, citing not being given permission by the Indian government to travel, with the PCB now asking their own government for further advice.

A PCB spokesperson said: “We have received an e-mail from the ICC in which they have said that India will not be coming to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.”

Pakistan went to India to play in the 2016 T20 World Cup and 2023 ODI World Cup.

However, a “hybrid model” saw all India matches take place in Sri Lanka when Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup in 2023.

The ‘Hybrid Model’

India’s refusal to play in Pakistan raises the possibility of the Champions Trophy being held across several countries.

In any hybrid scenario, the United Arab Emirates is a potential option as it is the headquarters of the ICC.

On November 8, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said he was not prepared to accept a shared hosting model, adding that “no discussion” of any such proposal has taken place.

He said: “Until now, no discussion of any hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.

“The Indian media are reporting it, but no formal communication has reached the PCB.”

“If we get a letter from India, I’ll have to go to my government and abide by their decisions.

“Pakistan has shown great gestures to India in the past, and we’d like to say clearly India shouldn’t expect such friendly gestures from us every time.”

Have Teams Refused to Play Before?

Although India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy is highly publicised, they are not the only cricket team to have declined to play.

During the 1996 World Cup, Australia and the West Indies declined to play their scheduled matches in Sri Lanka due to bombings that had occurred earlier that year.

As a result, Sri Lanka was awarded victories for both matches via walkover.

In the 2003 World Cup, England forfeited their group match against co-hosts Zimbabwe, citing concerns about Robert Mugabe’s regime after unsuccessfully requesting the match be relocated.

Similarly, New Zealand withdrew from a match against co-hosts Kenya in the same tournament due to safety concerns.

These examples were individual matches played in tournaments across multiple countries, leaving the teams with a chance to still reach the knockout stages.

On the other hand, the Champions Trophy currently requires India to play all their matches in one country.

What may Happen Next?

It is very unlikely that the ICC would go ahead with a tournament without India, given the major revenue losses it would cause.

And moving fixtures to another country could put Pakistan’s participation under threat.

During England’s Test series in Pakistan, England Cricket Board [ECB] chairman Richard Gould said:

“If you play the Champions Trophy without India or Pakistan, the broadcast rights aren’t there, and we need to protect them.”

The refusal of India’s cricketers to play in Pakistan follows a pattern of teams prioritising safety and political considerations over competitive commitments in international cricket.

Historical instances, such as Australia and the West Indies boycotting matches in Sri Lanka during the 1996 World Cup highlight the enduring challenges of balancing sportsmanship with security and ethics.

Pakistan host West Indies in a two-Test series in January before a mini tri-nation ODI tournament with New Zealand and South Africa.

Talks between the ICC and the countries involved continue to try and seek a Champions Trophy resolution, with the PCB looking for answers from the BCCI on their decision and time running out to get plans finalised.