India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy next year may trigger a strong response from the Pakistan government that may ask its cricket board to withdraw from the tournament, according to a report in ‘Dawn’.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has written to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), informing them about the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision that the Indian team won’t travel to Pakistan for the tournament, which is scheduled to be played from February 19 to March 9, 2025.
The Champions Trophy, which is making its return to the ICC calendar after 2017, could be turned into a ‘hybrid’ model, with India playing all their matches at a different venue, most likely in the UAE, while the rest of the tournament is hosted by Pakistan.
The report states that the PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, has “ruled out the possibility” of a hybrid model, which could force the ICC to move the entire tournament out of Pakistan.
That may lead to Pakistan pulling out of the Champions Trophy.
“In such a case, one of the options the government is mulling is that of asking the PCB to ensure Pakistan don’t participate in the Champions Trophy,” the report quoted its source.
Naqvi is also an interior minister in the country’s federal government.
India and Pakistan have not played any bilateral series since 2012, but continued to face off in ICC tournaments, including the ODI World Cup last year in India.
Notably, the Asia Cup hosted by Pakistan last year was also turned into a hybrid model after India refused to play in Pakistan. India then played all their matches in Sri Lanka.

Although the world of cricket features some electrifying rivalriesm, none matches the attention garnered by Pakistan vs India matches regardless of the format.

With fans hoping to see the two arch-rivals take on each other other than international tournaments, former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram has opened up on his favourites in a Test series if the two teams are to go up against each other in the longest format of the game.

“Pakistan have a chance to beat India in Tests now on a spinning track. They have been hammered by New Zealand 3-0 at home,” said Akram while expressing his views during the commentary of the first ODI between Pakistan and Australia on Monday.

Akram’s remarks came in response to former England cricketer Michael Vaughan’s statement where he said that he believed that the Men in Green could triumph over the Indian side.

“Pakistan can now beat India on the turners,” said Vaughan.

Remember, Pakistan, showcasing their spin prowess, made an astounding comeback to clinch the three-match Test series against England last month.

After being humbled by England in the opening fixture, the green shirts made major changes to their squad, which included resting key players like Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

The home side brought in spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, who took 39 out of the 40 wickets to fall in the remaining two Tests, to lead Pakistan to their first home Test series victory since 2021.

India, on the other hand, succumbed to their first-ever 3-0 home Test series whitewash on Sunday as New Zealand capitalized on their weakness of tackling spin.

New Zealand spinners claimed 37 out of 57 wickets, courtesy of Ajaz Patel, Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips.

It is to be noted that arch-rivals Pakistan and India last played a Test series in 2008.

NEW DELHI: New Zealand cricket fans had a memorable weekend as both the men’s and women’s national teams secured landmark victories.
The men’s team achieved their first Test win on Indian soil in 36 years, while the White Ferns claimed the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title.
New Zealand batter Kane Williamson, who missed the first Test against India due to a groin injury, took to Instagram to congratulate both teams on their remarkable achievements.He wrote, “Criiiiickeeeet Congratulations @white_ferns, world champions! And the brothers in Bangalore, epic! Great weekend of sport.”

In the men’s Test match against India in Bengaluru, New Zealand’s bowlers Matt Henry (5/15) and William O’Rourke (4/22) skittled out the hosts for a paltry 46 runs after India elected to bat first. Contributions from Rachin Ravindra (134), Devon Conway (91), and Tim Southee (65) propelled New Zealand to 402/10, giving them a substantial 356-run lead.
Despite fine knocks from Rohit Sharma (52), Virat Kohli (70), Sarfaraz Khan (150), and Rishabh Pant (99), India could only manage 462/10, leaving New Zealand with a modest target of 106 runs. The Kiwis chased down the total comfortably, winning by eight wickets. Rachin Ravindra was awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ for his outstanding performance.
On the other hand, the White Ferns secured their maiden T20 World Cup title by defeating South Africa by 32 runs in the final. After being put in to bat, New Zealand posted a competitive total of 158/5, thanks to crucial knocks from Suzie Bates (32), Amelia Kerr (43), and Brooke Halliday (38).
In the run-chase, South Africa got off to a brisk start with Laura Wolvaardt (33) and Tazmin Brits (17) adding 51 runs for the opening wicket. However, they lost wickets at regular intervals and were eventually restricted to 126/9, falling short by 32 runs. Amelia Kerr (3/24) and Rosemary Mair (3/25) were the standout bowlers for New Zealand, with Kerr being awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ for her all-round performance.

NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka set the crowd on fire with an astonishing display of stroke play in the 2nd T20I between Sri Lanka and West Indies at Dambulla on Tuesday.
The massive over came off Shamar Joseph’s bowling, who had a nightmare delivering the fourth over as Nissanka smashed five consecutive fours after getting a boundary through leg-bye off the very first ball.
It all began with a bit of luck. On the first ball, Nissanka mistimed a heave, but the ball deflected off his pads and rolled to the boundary for four leg byes. The unlucky start rattled Joseph, setting the stage for what followed—an unforgettable exhibition of fearless batting.
On the next delivery, Nissanka danced down the track, meeting a 138kmph length ball with authority. He lofted it elegantly over extra cover.
Watch:

What followed next was absolute carnage. Joseph’s slightly short delivery was pulled with brute force over backward square leg, leaving the fielder stranded.
Three boundaries were now on the trot, and Nissanka wasn’t done yet.
The very next ball was drilled straight down the ground through wide mid-off, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers.
With Joseph visibly shaken, Nissanka took full advantage.
The over culminated in style as Nissanka waited on a slower back-of-length ball, dissecting the gap between backward point and short third with pinpoint precision.
Six boundaries (including one leg bye) had come off the over, tallying a massive 25 runs!
This blitzkrieg propelled Sri Lanka to an aggressive start, with Nissanka finishing his innings on 54 off 49 balls.
Although Sri Lanka posted a competitive 162/5, it was Nissanka’s insane batting in the fourth over that stole the show.

Former Pakistan cricket coach Mickey Arthur has expressed concerns over the impact of excessive promotion of players, stating that it distances them from reality and makes them believe they are more important than they actually are.

Following Pakistan’s defeat to England, Arthur shared his thoughts on social media, praising the players’ skills but also highlighting several factors that negatively affect the team’s morale and performance.

Arthur emphasised that Pakistan’s players are exceptionally talented and deserving of their spots on the team.

However, he stressed that in order to improve performance, consistency in selection, environment, and administration is crucial.

“The players are very, very skilled and are the right ones,” Arthur said. “The inconsistency around selection, environment, and administration plays a role in team morale, give the players structure, and they will perform.”

Arthur also pointed out the harmful role of media-driven narratives, describing how the media’s negative rhetoric can hurt the team. “The vile rhetoric from media and media-driven agendas do not help,” he remarked.

A key point in Arthur’s critique was the overpromotion of players by agents or the media, which he believes gives them a false sense of importance.

“The promotion of players by player agents or media makes the player sometimes think he is way more important than he is in reality, creating a false view,” Arthur highlighted.

Arthur emphasised that representing Pakistan should be the highlight of a player’s career. “Playing for Pakistan should be the best time ever!” he said.

Pakistan’s Usman Khan has set a new national record for the fastest double century in List A cricket.

Usman achieved the feat during the match against SNGPL while representing Eshaal Associates in the ongoing President’s Cup at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium.

The aggressive batter reached the 200-run mark off 131 balls. On the very next ball, the player retired after scoring 201 runs from 132 deliveries.

This new record surpasses the previous mark set by Sharjeel Khan, who completed his double century on 133 balls while representing Sindh against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2022.

The match was Usman Khan’s 10th List A appearance. Across these matches, he has scored 652 runs at an average of 81.5, including one double century, one century, and four half-centuries.

Usman is now the seventh Pakistani cricketer to achieve a double century in List A cricket, joining an elite list that includes Fakhar Zaman, Abid Ali, Mohammad Ali, Sharjeel Khan, Kamran Akmal, and Khalid Latif.

Pakistan’s top List A scorers:

Fakhar Zaman – 210* (2018)

Abid Ali – 209* (2018)

Mohammad Ali – 207 (2005)

Sharjeel Khan – 206 (2022)

Khalid Latif – 204* (2009)

Usman Khan – 201 (2024)

Kamran Akmal – 200 (2018)

Former South African skipper and one of the leading batsmen in the world of cricket, AB de Villiers weighed in on Babar Azam’s decision to step down as the of Pakistan’s white-ball team captain.

Last night, Babar announced that he was stepping down from the white-ball captaincy, saying that it was time for him to focus on his playing role and personal growth.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had reappointed Babar as the national team’s captain for T20I and one-day internationals (ODIs) on March 31. He had earlier ended his years-long stint as skipper in November 2023 after he stepped down as captain of the national side.

Expressing his support for Babar’s choice, De Villiers highlighted that this decision could allow the star batter to focus on his game and return to his best form.

Reacting to Babar’s X post, the South African wrote, “Congrats. You’ve been great. Now for plenty more runs for your team.”

A day earlier, speaking about his role as the skipper, Babar said captaincy had been a rewarding experience but it added a significant workload. “I want to prioritise my performance, enjoy my batting, and spend quality time with my family, which brings me joy,” he stressed.

“By stepping down, I will gain clarity moving forward and focus more energy on my game and personal growth,” Babar wrote.

Expressing his gratefulness for the support, the star batter said he is excited to continue contributing to the team as a player.

This is the second time Babar left the captaincy of the national side.

He had stepped down from captaincy amid severe criticism after Pakistan failed to perform in the Asia Cup and continued the same performance into the World Cup — where they crashed out before reaching the semis.