The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has conveyed to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that its team won’t travel to Lahore for the ICC Champions Trophy citing security concerns.

Sources told The Telegraph that the BCCI has also expressed its wish to play their matches in Dubai. Pakistan are the official hosts for the tournament scheduled early next year.

The Telegraph had reported on July 12 that the BCCI had expressed its reluctance to tour Pakistan and wants to follow the hybrid model used during the Asia Cup in September 2023.

The PCB launched a strong reply saying they are yet to hear anything from their counterparts in India. While the BCCI sources said that a letter has already been mailed, PCB denied receiving any such communication.

“We have always maintained that India should give us in writing that they don’t want to tour Pakistan. However, till today the BCCI hasn’t communicated anything to us and there has been no talk of any hybrid model,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said in Lahore on Friday.

“Even the ICC hasn’t conveyed anything to us. If any such letter comes, I will have to approach our government,” Naqvi said.

The PCB chairman also sounded a note of caution saying, “do not expect
good gesture from Pakistan every time.”

According to the draft schedule, India are expected to play all their matches in Lahore. There had also been a proposal for the Indian team to fly in and out of Pakistan on the match days.

An ICC team is likely to visit Pakistan next week to finalise the fixtures.

The top-eight teams take part in the ODI tournament which will be held in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi from February 19.

There was hope that the Indian team would tour Pakistan after a meeting between the external affairs ministers of both countries on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation conclave in Islamabad last month.

India last toured Pakistan during the 2008 Asia Cup, where Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team finished runners-up. Captain Rohit Sharma and the head coach Gautam Gambhir were part of that squad.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah will take over as ICC chairman on December 1.