ICC cancels Champions Trophy event in Pakistan due to ‘scheduling issues’

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has canceled an event related to the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan due to ‘scheduling issues’. This comes after reports that India has decided not to travel to Pakistan for the tournament and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi’s statement that he is ‘not ready to accept the hybrid model’.

The canceled event, where ICC was expected to officially halt the tournament, has now been suspended until the situation is resolved, read a report on cricket news website Cricbuzz.

“The schedule has not yet been confirmed, we are still in discussions with the host and participating countries regarding the Champions Trophy schedule. Once confirmed, we will announce it through our normal channels,” the report said, citing a official is cited as an expert.

However, the PCB has downplayed the controversy and a source in the same report hinted that the cancellation could be due to rising pollution levels in Lahore.

“It was just a trophy tour flag and tournament/branding launch,” an official said in the Cricbuzz report. “That (the event) is still in the works – although it may be rescheduled as outdoor activities in Lahore are difficult at the moment,” the source further added.

The scheduling conflict was expected as both India and Pakistan do not play bilateral cricket due to political tensions. Last year, India had declined to travel to Pakistan for the regional Asia Cup as well, but Pakistan traveled to India for the ODI World Cup that followed soon after.

A report in the Indian media has stated that India will travel to Pakistan and instead look for Dubai, UAE as an option to play their matches.

However, Naqvi has said that there has been no official communication from the Board for Control for Cricket India (BCCI) that India will not play in the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

The tournament is expected to be played from February 19 to March 19.