There has been great concern for some weeks regarding Afghanistan’s likely non-participation in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. The prevailing perception in Pakistan was that, due to its financial clout and influence, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could easily persuade other regional boards, including those of Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, to play their matches in Sri Lanka or elsewhere, or to withdraw from the tournament entirely.
However, during a meeting in Colombo, officials from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) assured Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairperson Mohsin Naqvi of Afghanistan’s commitment to participate in the ninth edition of the 50-over tournament, which Pakistan will host in February and March of next year.
The ACB President, Mirwais Ashraf, and CEO, Naseeb Khan, who were in Colombo for the ICC Annual Conference, met with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and assured Afghanistan’s participation. An official from the PCB stated that Afghanistan was excited to send a squad to Pakistan and compete in the event for the first time.
“They told the chairman that Afghanistan is looking forward to sending its team to Pakistan because they are participating in the Champions Trophy for the first time,” a PCB official said, as reported by NDTV Sports.
In a recent interview, former PCB Chairman Khalid Mehmood stated that if India withdraws its squad from Pakistan, other teams may follow suit and insist on transferring the competition to another place.
However, during the conference in Colombo, ACB officials guaranteed Naqvi that Afghanistan would participate in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
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The 2025 Champions Trophy will be the first major ICC event staged in Pakistan since the 1996 World Cup, which it co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka. It will also be Afghanistan’s first appearance in this prestigious competition, pending further developments.
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