India has stirred controversy after reportedly barring its cricket team captain, Rohit Sharma, from traveling to Pakistan for key events related to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The events, including the curtain-raiser and skippers’ photoshoot, are essential for building excitement ahead of the prestigious tournament.
According to Indian media outlets, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate both pre-tournament events to Dubai, ensuring that Sharma could attend in person. The BCCI is reportedly confident that the ICC will approve the request, pointing out that the ICC had already complied with India’s demand to shift the location of its Champions Trophy matches away from Pakistan.
Sources quoted in the Indian media claim that the ICC’s past willingness to accommodate India’s concerns over match venues strengthens the likelihood of this new request being approved. “These are minor issues,” one source reportedly stated.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has strongly criticized the BCCI’s actions, accusing them of bringing politics into cricket and potentially undermining the spirit of the game. A PCB official, speaking to IANS, voiced hope that the ICC would remain impartial. “We believe that the world governing body will not let this happen and will support Pakistan,” the official stated.
This latest development follows a prior incident where the BCCI allegedly insisted that the name of the host nation, Pakistan, be omitted from the Indian team’s jerseys during the Champions Trophy. The PCB had condemned this move, accusing the BCCI of politicizing the sport. In response to backlash, India later clarified that they would adhere to ICC uniform regulations for the 2025 tournament and denied any objections to the inclusion of Pakistan’s name on their jerseys.
The controversy continues to raise questions about the intersection of politics and sports, with both boards calling for the ICC’s leadership to ensure fairness and uphold the integrity of the game.
