Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday praised Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s “principled” stance over the hosting of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
The tournament, scheduled to take place in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9, has become embroiled in a dispute, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refusing to send its team to Pakistan, citing political and security concerns, despite assurances from all member boards regarding the security arrangements and the tentative match schedule.
BCCI representatives on Thursday turned down the PCB’s proposal of adopting a “partnership formula” for the next three years as part of efforts to break the ongoing deadlock between the two parties.
Addressing the continuing deadlock while speaking to the media in Lahore on Saturday, Naqvi said: “We had a meeting [with the ICC] today, it’s been postponed. Once the details have been finalised we’ll update you.”
Naqvi refused to answer or comment on any alleged developments with the ICC or the BCCI regarding the Champions Trophy, only saying that “we will not disappoint the nation”.
The PCB chairman called on the PM at his residence and briefed him about recent developments regarding the ICC Champions trophy.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif expressed full confidence in Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi regarding the Champions Trophy tournament,” said a post from the Interior Ministry on X.
PM Shehbaz said that Naqvi’s stance on hosting the tournament reflected “the voice of Pakistanis”, adding that the chairman “represented sentiments of the 240 million Pakistanis before the ICC”.
“Pakistan’s prestige is the first and foremost while everything else is secondary,” the premier stressed.
Naqvi, who also holds the portfolio of the country’s interior minister, said the PCB is fully prepared to host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan and all preparations were in place.
“We want victory for Pakistan and cricket,” Naqvi said.
