ISLAMABAD — A senior official from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue with India to address any hesitations regarding participation in the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy. The PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, conveyed on Monday that there should be no barriers preventing India from visiting.

“As of now, every team that has qualified for the Champions Trophy appears ready to make the trip to Pakistan,” Naqvi shared with the media in Lahore. He added, “There are no issues on their end. I would like to reiterate that if India has any specific concerns, they should reach out to us directly. We fully expect to resolve any such issues. There is no real reason for India not to come here.”

In preparation for the tournament scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9, PCB has invested significantly in improving stadium facilities in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. Alongside Pakistan and India, England, South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Afghanistan, and Australia have also qualified for the tournament.

However, the PCB has been informed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) that India has communicated its reluctance to travel to Pakistan for the event. The PCB has been firm in its stance that it will not arrange for India’s matches to be held at a neutral site, as was the case during last year’s Asia Cup when Indian matches took place in Sri Lanka.

While India and Pakistan regularly compete in multi-nation tournaments, the Indian cricket team has not toured Pakistan since the Asia Cup back in 2008. Recently, the PCB raised inquiries with the ICC about India’s refusal to come to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, but they have yet to receive a response.

Naqvi stated, “We have communicated our concerns to the ICC and are awaiting a reply. I truly believe that sports and politics should remain separate, and no nation should conflate the two. I still hold a hopeful outlook regarding the Champions Trophy.”

The trophy tour stirred some controversy when it commenced in Islamabad. Initially, the PCB planned to include Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, in the tour. However, that stop was scrapped after the Board of Control for Cricket in India raised objections with the ICC. The trophy is set to return to Pakistan in January following its tour of the other seven participating nations.