The various initiatives of PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) to allow the Indian team to play cricket on Pakistani soil are not coming close. Recently, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi also said that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli would organize a bilateral series to normalize the game in Pakistan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) did not agree to that either.

Indians don’t want to go to Pakistan even to play the 2025 Champions Trophy, let alone a bilateral series. A report of Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) revealed these facts.

It should be noted that Pakistan will host the 2025 Champions Trophy. India does not want to play this big ICC tournament in Pakistan. BCCI is asking to change the venue for this. That is, India wants the Champions Trophy in a hybrid model. It means, BCCI is demanding to organize India’s matches in any other country other than Pakistan.

IANS quoted a BCCI source as saying, ‘Forget bilateral series…. Even the Indian team cannot go to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. Venue is subject to change. There is a possibility to do it in the hybrid model as well.

BCCI also says, ‘Indian board will need permission from the government to travel to Pakistan. Currently, our relationship with Pakistan is not that good.

While the Champions Trophy is organized by the ICC, India’s participation is subject to government directives, the BCCI said, adding that the Champions Trophy is an ICC event. So it will be a tough decision for India. But nothing can be done without government’s directive/green signal. Bilateral series I don’t see in the near future. It is almost impossible.’

Pakistan last played a series against Pakistan in 2012-13. After that no more bilateral series was organized between India and Pakistan. Although Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup last year, India did not play there. Rohit’s matches were held in Sri Lanka. However, even if the Indian team did not go to Pakistan, the Pakistan team went to play on Indian soil to play the 2023 ODI World Cup.