The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a revised itinerary for the Champions Trophy 2025 Trophy Tour after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wanted to take it to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The newly announced itinerary doesn’t include any of the regions that lie in PoK.
The tour will get underway in Islamabad and the trophy will be presented for exhibition at Daman-e-Koh, Faisal Mosque and the Pakistan Monument on the opening day. Pakistan’s legendary pacer, Shoaib Akhtar will accompany the silverware.
Following Islamabad, the tour will then advance to Karachi and Abbottabad before its final destination in Pakistan i.e. Taxilla. Notably, the global trophy tour is an attempt by the apex cricket governing body to draw more fan engagement before the start of the tournament.
Timeline of the Trophy Tour:
- 16 November – Islamabad, Pakistan
- 17 November – Taxila and Khanpur, Pakistan
- 18 November – Abbottabad, Pakistan
- 19 November- Murree, Pakistan
- 20 November- Nathia Gali, Pakistan
- 22 – 25 November – Karachi, Pakistan
- 26 – 28 November – Afghanistan
- 10 – 13 December – Bangladesh
- 15 – 22 December – South Africa
- 25 December – 5 January – Australia
- 6 – 11 January – New Zealand
- 12 – 14 January – England
- 15 – 26 January – India
- 27 January – event start – Pakistan
Initially, the PCB wanted to take the silverware to Hunza, Skardu and the capital of PoK – Muzaffarabad. However, a swift move by the ICC foiled PCB’s plans. Netizens were quick to call PCB out over the issue and the board faced severe backlash across several social media platforms.
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made it clear to the ICC that Team India will not travel to Pakistan to play in the forthcoming edition of the Champions Trophy. BCCI’s refusal to travel to Pakistan has added a new element to the entire saga.