ICC: India’s participation in the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan cannot be controlled by geopolitical forces

Almost a decade has passed since India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series, and since then they have only ever met in ICC tournaments, with the last match taking place at the T20 World Cup in the UAE on October 24.
It will be interesting to see if India travels to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, since there has never been cricket between the two countries, generating mixed reactions from both sides. ICC chairman Greg Barclay admits that visiting India would be a “challenging issue” given the cold relations between the two countries. Moreover, he stated that the cricket body is not responsible for controlling the “geopolitical forces,” but hopes that cricket will reignite relations between the two nations.       

We do know that it is a particularly difficult issue to solve, but I hope cricket can be a force to improve relations between countries. The Indian government and Home Ministry will make a decision when the time comes. During the international championships, all factors are considered.”

Security concerns have kept many countries from playing in Pakistan in the past, the minister said during a media interaction. As you know, many players had even been attacked over there. Sport can bring people and nations together, and that is the one thing it excels at. “It is fantastic if it can contribute to that,” Barclay told ANI in their report.