The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has earmarked Lahore as the sole venue for the India matches in next year’s Champions Trophy, which has been allotted to Pakistan. While the exact schedule is yet to be finalized for the eight-team 50-over competition, it is slated to commence in mid-February. Karachi and Rawalpindi are the other designated venues.
Although it remains uncertain whether India will travel to Pakistan, given the tensions between the countries and the recent instance of India’s refusal to cross the border for the Asia Cup last year, the PCB has identified Lahore for the India games after much deliberation. The rationale behind this decision is that being a border city, Lahore will allow fans to cross through Wagah without much difficulty to watch their side play.
Furthermore, the organizers aim to ensure that the Indian team will not have to travel or crisscross venues to play the matches. They will be based solely in Lahore, avoiding travel hassles. The PCB has recently disclosed that it has sent the Champions Trophy blueprint and the venues to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Pakistan are the defending champions of the Champions Trophy, having defeated India in the final at The Oval in the last edition of the competition in 2017. It will be the first time Pakistan will have staged the Champions Trophy, should it be held there. The tournament was initially allotted to the country in 2008 but was moved out due to security concerns, with South Africa hosting it in 2009.
Originally known as the ICC Knockout Trophy, the event was renamed the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002. It was held every two years until 2009 and subsequently moved to a four-year cycle. This time, however, it has taken eight years to stage it. The competition features the top eight teams in the ODI rankings.
The first round consists of two groups of four, with the top two teams in each group progressing to the semi-finals, and the winners contesting the final. The ICC describes the event as “short, sharp, and highly competitive.”
India has not traveled to Pakistan since the Asia Cup in 2008 for multiple reasons, including security concerns and diplomatic tensions between the countries. During the Asia Cup last September, the PCB, as the designated host, agreed to a hybrid model of two venues, and India played their matches in Sri Lanka.
It will be of utmost interest to see how the administrators of India, Pakistan, and the ICC address this issue and what the response of the governments, particularly India’s, will be.
