The highly anticipated Champions Trophy match between Pakistan and India is set to take place tonight, but the venue has been chosen as a neutral ground. Former England cricketer and commentator Jonathan Agnew has called this arrangement "ludicrous and ridiculous," highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
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02-23, 2025Despite Pakistan being the host of this year's Champions Trophy, all of India's matches will be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates. This decision stems from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)'s refusal to travel to Pakistan, citing security concerns following the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, which marked the first return of international cricket to the country.
Last year, the BCCI, the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reached an agreement ensuring that they would not need to play each other in any ICC events in each other's countries until 2027. This encompasses this year's Men’s Champions Trophy and the Women’s Cricket World Cup in August-September, as well as next year's Men's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, solidifying a period of neutral-venue matches.
Agnew stated that India receiving preferential treatment in this tournament "isn't right," especially considering that world cricket powerhouses will also be playing semi-finals in Dubai. "I'm very uncomfortable about the way India are being treated at the moment," he told ABC Sport. He added, "It's wrong; if you're going to have a tournament, you can't go picking and choosing where you want to play."
Agnew continued, "I don't know how long this can go on for? It's making a bit of a nonsense of these events." Pakistan, after losing their opening match to New Zealand by 60 runs in Karachi on Wednesday, will travel to Dubai to face India tonight before returning to Rawalpindi for a match against Bangladesh on Thursday. Australia will play three group matches in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi, while India remains in the UAE, having defeated Bangladesh by six wickets in their first game.
Agnew questioned, "How can the home nation hosting its first international tournament for such a long time have the most important match of the tournament played away from home? It's not fair." Political tensions between Pakistan and India have long affected cricket matches, particularly after the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team. Pakistan toured India in 2012/13, but India last visited Pakistan for the Asia Cup in 2008. During the 2023 Asia Cup hosted by Pakistan, India played their matches in Sri Lanka.
Agnew stated, "This can't go on. It's depriving cricket of one of its greatest events, one of its great traditional rivalries, like the Ashes. Cricket is shooting itself in the foot by not having two major teams able to play each other purely for political reasons. It's such a shame."
Pakistan and India now only compete against each other in ICC global events, having last faced off at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in 2023. Following the match, the PCB lodged a formal complaint with the ICC, alleging "inappropriate behavior" from the crowd towards the Pakistani team, further straining relations.
Ahead of the high-profile match in Dubai, former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq stated that he wanted his former team to "take a stand and teach them a lesson." He told Pakistan's 24 Digital channel: "The BCCI's tantrums are never-ending… The kids here want to see Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. Every kid here wants to see them perform, but their tantrums are never-ending. I don't know which world they are living in, what they want to achieve."
Ironically, the 2025 Champions Trophy is set to be the first ICC event hosted by Pakistan since it co-hosted the World Cup with India and Sri Lanka in 1996, marking a significant return to hosting major international cricket tournaments.
