Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal has criticized the BCCI for what he perceives as hypocrisy amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. His remarks follow a delay in the schedule announcement for the tournament, which is expected soon.
The BCCI has maintained its position of not traveling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy scheduled for February-March next year and has formally communicated this decision to the International Cricket Council (ICC). The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has opposed the proposed ‘Hybrid’ model and even hinted at boycotting the event.
However, recent reports indicate that the PCB is now open to accepting the ‘Hybrid’ model for the Champions Trophy, provided the ICC allows the same arrangement for events in India until 2031. Frustrated by the situation, Akmal stated, “I am disappointed to see such a scenario, but enough is enough. Pakistan has toured India even when issues arose, such as the 2016 World Cup match being moved from Dharamshala to Kolkata, and then they played in Ahmedabad last year despite concerns.”
He emphasized that the PCB needs to adopt a firmer stance to bolster Pakistan’s image before criticizing India’s approach. “While they refuse to play in Pakistan for political reasons, they accept matches in their own country, which is a double standard,” he remarked.
This marks another instance where the BCCI has chosen not to visit Pakistan; last year, India opted to play all its Asia Cup matches in Sri Lanka instead of traveling to Pakistan. Akmal advocates for a long-term resolution to this off-field conflict between India and Pakistan. He suggested that if the Hybrid model is accepted now, it should be extended to all future events hosted in India.
“The ICC needs to make a decision, and this is an opportune moment to establish a lasting solution. Suppose the Champions Trophy uses a hybrid model with India not coming to Pakistan. In that case, all subsequent ICC events in India should follow the same with Pakistan refraining from touring,” he suggested.
Additionally, Akmal proposed that no matches between India and Pakistan should take place in ICC events until both teams engage in bilateral series to improve their relations. “In my view, the ICC should refrain from scheduling Indo-Pak matches unless there is a bilateral series in place. Once they resume playing against each other, only then should they face off in multi-national events,” he concluded.
