Rajeev Shukla, vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), dismissed speculations on Saturday that the Indian cricket team would not travel to Pakistan for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy.
Recent Indian media reports suggested that the BCCI would refuse to send the team to Pakistan and would request the ICC to relocate India’s matches to a neutral venue.
“We are unaware of the source of such claims. The BCCI has not released any official statement regarding this matter,” Shukla stated in a phone interview with ThePrint.
India last visited Pakistan in 2008, with their most recent bilateral series occurring in 2013. Since then, the two teams have only faced each other in International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments and the Asia Cup.
Notably, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has earmarked Rs. 12.80 billion for upgrading three stadiums in preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy, set for February/March next year.
The approval for the 2024-25 budget was granted during the 72nd Board of Governors (BoG) meeting earlier this month, chaired by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. The meeting, held at the National Cricket Academy, saw full attendance from all BoG members.
The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi, and the Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium are slated for enhancements ahead of the major event.
