Indian Cricket Board Celebrates After Cancellation of Opening Ceremony and Captains’ Meet for Champions Trophy in Pakistan
The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) is celebrating after the cancellation of the opening ceremony and captains’ meet for the upcoming Champions Trophy, which Pakistan is set to host.
Media reports suggest that Pakistan will host the Champions Trophy starting February 19, but the Indian team will play their matches in Dubai under a hybrid model. One of the semi-finals will also take place in Dubai, and if India reaches the final, it will be held there.
India initially insisted on moving their matches to Dubai, and now they have also managed to cancel the opening ceremony and captains’ photo shoot and press conference that were scheduled in Pakistan. The BCCI had previously raised objections to printing ‘Pakistan’ (the host country) on their team’s jersey for the Champions Trophy. After that, news of Indian captain Rohit Sharma’s arrival in Pakistan for the opening ceremony and captains’ meet were dismissed, and pressure was applied, claiming security concerns meant the Indian captain would not visit Pakistan.
On the other hand, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated that no plans were made with the ICC to hold any events with teams before the Champions Trophy. Last year, ahead of the T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies, there was no photo shoot for the captains, so the absence of such an event now is not unusual.
Sources said, however, that a colorful opening ceremony will be held for the event, with the inauguration of upgraded stadiums in Karachi and Lahore. Organizers noted that due to different arrival dates for the teams, the opening ceremony or a formal gathering of captains would not be possible. England will arrive in Lahore on February 18 after their T20 series against India, while Australia will arrive on February 19 after their test series, making it impossible for captains to attend a joint press conference. As a result, Rohit Sharma will not be coming to Pakistan.
