A new controversy has emerged ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to take place in Pakistan and Dubai, with reports suggesting that India has raised objections to having “Pakistan” the host nation printed on their jerseys. Although India will play its Champions Trophy matches in Dubai, Pakistan remains the official host of the tournament. The situation escalated after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) agreed on a hybrid model, following the BCCI’s refusal to send its team to Pakistan. However, the issue over the host nation’s name on the jerseys has sparked a fresh dispute.
In a conversation with news agency IANS, a PCB official accused the BCCI of bringing “politics into cricket” by opposing the inclusion of Pakistan’s name on Team India’s shirts. Earlier, reports indicated that the Indian board had also declined to send captain Rohit Sharma to Pakistan for the captains’ meeting, a key event leading up to the Champions Trophy.
‘BCCI is bringing politics into cricket, which is not at all good for the game. They refused to travel Pakistan. They don’t want to send their captain for the opening ceremony, now there are reports that they don’t want host nation (Pakistan) name printed on their jersey. We… pic.twitter.com/Z9FrF9FKit
— IANS (@ians_india) January 20, 2025
“The BCCI is injecting politics into cricket, which undermines the integrity of the sport. They initially refused to travel to Pakistan, and now they’re reluctant to send their captain for the opening ceremony. There are even reports suggesting they don’t want the host country’s (Pakistan’s) name on their jerseys. We trust that the ICC, as the global governing body, will intervene and ensure Pakistan is treated fairly,” a PCB official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the agency.
Despite significant pressure from the PCB, the BCCI maintained its position on not sending Team India to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. Ultimately, the PCB had to accept India’s terms. However, the revised agreement now stipulates that the PCB will not be able to send its team to India for future ICC events.
With the Champions Trophy just a month away, the controversy surrounding it continues to dominate headlines.
