ICC assured all groups will journey to Pakistan for 2025 Champions Trophy: chairman

Worldwide sides have largely steered away from Pakistan since a terrorist assault on the Sri Lanka staff bus in Lahore in 2009 that killed six policemen and two civilians.

The 50-over event would be the first ICC occasion hosted by Pakistan because it shared the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka and final week’s announcement got here as a giant enhance after England and New Zealand pulled out of excursions there in September.

Requested if the ICC was assured groups would journey to Pakistan, chairman Greg Barclay informed reporters on Monday: “From what we will see, completely.

“We would not have awarded the occasion if we did not suppose Pakistan was able to internet hosting it.

“I am certain, as with all nations, they may put collectively acceptable safety plans to ship the occasion. We’re snug and assured it can go forward.”

There have been fears the selections by New Zealand and England would once more dampen the prospects of worldwide cricket in Pakistan however Australia confirmed this month they’d tour subsequent yr for the primary time since 1998.

The prospects of India travelling to Pakistan for the primary time because the 2008 Asia Cup stay unclear, nonetheless.

Anurag Thakur, India’s sports activities minister and former cricket board chief, informed reporters final week safety was the primary concern and that the federal government would make the decision when the time comes.

India hosted Pakistan in a bilateral sequence in 2013 however the bitter neighbours not often meet exterior international tournaments today. Pakistan performed in India on the 2011 World Cup in addition to the T20 World Cup in 2016.

“We all know it is a difficult problem,” Barclay stated. “From my viewpoint, I can not management geo-political forces.

“I simply hope cricket is usually a pressure to assist enhance relations between nations. One of many nice issues sports activities can do is to assist carry nations collectively. If we will do one thing in a small method to contribute to that, that is implausible.”