As the impasse over the ICC Champions Trophy venue continues, Pakistan's newly appointed ODI and T20I skipper Mohammad Rizwan has broken his silence on the matter. The Indian team is unlikely to be allowed to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, prompting the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to demand alternate options. While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and other stakeholders in Pakistan cricket are trying their best to prevent the tournament from being taken out of the country, no resolution has been achieved on the matter yet.
Rizwan, who replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan's new white-ball skipper, has sent a message to the Indian team, asking them to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
"Fans here love Indian cricketers, and they would be thrilled to see the Indian team play in Pakistan. If they come, we will give them a warm welcome," Rizwan said on the subject.
Uncertainty continues to loom over India going to Pakistan for the mega event. Since 2008's Asia Cup, India has not played any cricket tournaments in Pakistan due to tense relationships between both nations because of terrorism.
A series played from December 2012 to January 2013 in India marked the final bilateral series between the two nations. Since then, both nations have only clashed at ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup. On the other hand, Pakistan travelled to India on three occasions since the 2008 Asia Cup.
Recently, reports started to surface about the International Cricket Council (ICC) looking at three options regarding hosting the Champions Trophy.
According to reports, ICC is either looking to have the tournament go ahead in Pakistan as planned or take place in both Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a part of the hybrid model.
As per this hybrid model, matches for India and knockout stage games will take place in Dubai. The third option is the entire tournament, taking place outside Pakistan, with Dubai, Sri Lanka or South Africa as possible hosts.
With ANI Inputs