Indian cricket team will not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and want to play their matches at a neutral venue. It is reliably learnt that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated their decision to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and other stakeholders, and there is a bright possibility of some matches being played in Dubai.
“Yes, the BCCI has conveyed their concerns regarding Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan. They want to play matches at a neutral venue and Dubai is the strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue,” says a source tracking developments.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) had already drafted the schedule for the multi-nation tournament and India were supposed to play their games in Lahore. There, however, was no discussion on the draft and now BCCI’s decision will result in some modifications before the schedule could be announced to the public.
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As per original plan, the complete schedule of ICC Champions Trophy was supposed to be released on Monday but now it remains to be seen how much time the global cricket body would need to make the necessary amendments.
Dubai is a comfortable option as the ICC has hosted numerous high profile tournaments there and seamlessly hosted the recent Women’s T20 World Cup which was moved from Bangladesh due to political unrest in the country.
“There are no issues in Dubai. Hotels are not a problem, logistics not a problem, everything can be handled smoothly. And ICC does have things in control when it comes to Dubai,” adds the source.
The tournament is slated to get underway on February 19 and the title clash is scheduled for March 9. The PCB has already commenced an upgradation drive of its existing venues for the 50-over tournament.