ISLAMABAD — The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has informed them that India will not participate in any matches of the upcoming Champions Trophy to be held next year in Pakistan. A spokesperson for the PCB made this announcement on Sunday, stating, “We have received an e-mail from the ICC confirming that India will not be coming to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.”

The Champions Trophy tournament is set to take place from February 19 to March 9. The PCB has shared the ICC’s correspondence with the Pakistani government to seek further guidance on the situation.

Last week, the PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi expressed his opposition to the idea of a shared hosting arrangement and indicated that there hasn’t been any discussion regarding such a proposal. This situation comes in the wake of Pakistan hosting the Asia Cup last year, during which all of India’s matches were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model. Later, Pakistan visited India for the 50-over World Cup.

The longstanding political tensions between the two nations have resulted in India’s cricket team not traveling to Pakistan since 2008. The two sides have predominantly faced each other in multi-nation tournaments, including various ICC World Cups. However, there was a bilateral One Day International series in India back in 2012.

The PCB has invested substantial funds to upgrade cricket stadiums in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, which are expected to host a total of 15 matches for the Champions Trophy. Chairman Naqvi expressed optimism that all venues would be ready within the next two months.

The tournament will feature eight nations: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Afghanistan. However, the full schedule is still pending from the ICC.