Will India Play Cricket in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy?

NEW DELHI: As Pakistan gears up to host the ICC Champions Trophy early next year, the question of whether the T20 World Cup-winning Indian team will participate remains at the forefront. India has not played cricket in Pakistan for over a decade, and it is uncertain if this will change soon.

The debate has drawn various comments from former cricketers from both nations. Harbhajan Singh, a former Indian spinner, voiced concerns about India’s potential visit to Pakistan, citing the volatile security situation.

On the other hand, ex-Pakistan pacer Tanvir Ahmed has openly challenged the Indian team to visit Pakistan, referring to Pakistan’s own visit to India for the ODI World Cup last year. A video clip featuring Tanvir Ahmed has gone viral on social media wherein he commends the Pakistan team for being “brave and fearless” for traveling to India to play cricket. In the clip, he extends an invitation to the Indian team to come to Pakistan, reassuring them of their safety.

“Sher hai hum log sher hai, hum log sher hai. Hum log tere mulk me aa ke khel ke gaye hai. Aake dikha….Hum toh kah rahe hai aake khelo. Security denge, sab kuch denge tum logon ko. Aa toh sahi ek dafaa [We are lions, we are lions. We came and played cricket in your country. Come here and show… We are inviting you to come and play. We will provide security, we will give you everything. Just come once],” said Tanvir Ahmed.

“Yeh sirf Pakistan ke playeron ka kaam hai, bhai. Sirf Pakistan ke player aate hai aur khelke chale jaate hai. Chahe jeete, chahe haare, jis tarah ki cricket khele. Woh India jaake khelke wapas aaye the. Isko kahte hai ek daler team aur daler players [It’s only the Pakistan players who do this. Only Pakistani players come and play and go back, regardless of winning or losing, and no matter how they play. They went to India and returned after playing there. This is what you call a brave team and brave players],” he added.

Pakistan has assured that all matches involving the Indian team in the tournament will be held in Lahore, and the Indian team will stay at the same hotel throughout their visit. The idea behind this arrangement is to implement more effective and secure measures.

Last year, the Indian cricket team refused to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, leading to India matches being staged in Sri Lanka instead. Since 2012, the two nations have not played any bilateral series, with the Indian government limiting cricket encounters between Pakistan and India to ICC or ACC events.