There has been a lot of speculations over whether the Indian cricket team will be travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. India and Pakistan have not played a single bilateral series for nearly a decade due to political tensions and their only matches take place during Asia Cup and ICC events. The Pakistan team did travel to India for the 2023 ODI World Cup but India have not provided any guarantees for the Champions Trophy. In an interview with Sports Tak, former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria said that India should not travel to Pakistan for the competition and insisted that Dubai will be the better venue.
“Looking at the situation in Pakistan, I have to say that the Indian team should not go to Pakistan, and Pakistan should think about it, and then the ICC will make its decision, and most likely, it will be a hybrid model, it will played in Dubai. The media gets hype, everyone’s videos get likes because the big manjan is good so it will sell. So I think this is a reality and it will definitely be a hybrid model,” he said.
“The safety of the players is the first priority. The safety of the players is the first priority. Respect is the second priority. There are many things. I think BCCI is doing a great job. I think all the countries will accept the final decision. I think it will be a hybrid model,” he added.
Kaneria further said that the situation in India is much better than that in Pakistan and as a result, it was easier for the Pakistan cricket team to travel for the ODI World Cup in 2023.
“The main issue is that money will come. That’s why there is so much talk about Indian team coming, there will be sponsorships, media will grow, there will be a channel of Dhoom Dham, this will happen, that will happen, there will be a lot of things, money will come well, this will happen. But that’s okay. But you see the other grey area which you are fixing right now. If you think positively, your mind that the situation is not good, security concerns are there, the rest of the team is coming but this is an Indian team. This is an Indian team. Now, we went to India, so the situation in India is far more better, the balance is there, everything is good, the world travels, tourists come from all over the world, so everything is great and the government is doing a fantastic job. So that’s the thing, that’s the reality.”
