1 week Ago By Faham Uddin
The BCCI's refusal to send team India to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy has put the tournament in jeopardy. With less than 100 days to go, the schedule for the showpiece event should have been announced, but it was delayed as the cricket boards are yet to find a middle-ground. The BCCI is firm on its stance and it is so powerful it can't be forced to send Team India to Pakistan.
The PCB, on the other hand, after consultation with the government, is also firm on hosting the Champions Trophy at home. PCB has also threatened to withdraw from the tournament and refuse to play India in ICC events if the BCCI doesn't send team India to Pakistan. However, PCB is well aware it would suffer heavy losses if it doesn't soften its stance.
According to a report in Cricbuzz, if the Champions Trophy is postponed or moved out to a different country, PCB risks facing ICC sanctions if it withdraws from the tournament. This could mean ICC could make a massive cut to PCB's funding. The report further adds in case the tournament is moved out of Pakistan, the PCB could suffer a heavy loss of USD 65 million as hosting fees.
This would be a monumental blow to PCB who heavily invested in the upgradations of cricket stadiums in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi. The PCB has written a letter to ICC asking the reason behind India's refusal to play the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. As per media reports in Pakistan, the PCB is unwilling to accept security concerns as reasons for India's refusal stating that teams like New Zealand, Australia, and England have played in Pakistan recently.
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