The ICC had informed the PCB last week that India would not participate in the eight-nation tournament, casting doubt on the event’s future
Suryakumar Yadav with Rinku Singh in the viral video, Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma at nets (Pic: Screengrab/Instagram/AFP)
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Tuesday that it has formally requested an explanation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding India's decision not to send its team to Pakistan for next year’s Champions Trophy.
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The ICC had informed the PCB last week that India would not participate in the eight-nation tournament, casting doubt on the event’s future.
Pakistan had previously rejected a hybrid model that would have allowed India to play their matches at neutral venues, such as the UAE, as a compromise.
The ongoing standoff between the PCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has now spilled over beyond the subcontinent, reaching South Africa, where Suryakumar Yadav-led India are currently playing a four-match T20I series.
In a video now circulating on Instagram, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was approached by a fan who asked, "Mujhe ek baat bata saktein hai ki Pakistan kyun nahi aa rahe aap (Can you tell me why you're not going to Pakistan)?"
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Yadav, in his typically calm manner, responded, "Arrey bhaiya, hamare hath mein thodi hai (Brother, it is not in our hands)", making it clear that the decision lies outside the players' control.
Also Read: Politics vs cricket leaves Champions Trophy up in the air
Deteriorating political ties have meant the bitter rivals have not played a bilateral cricket series for over a decade -- squaring off only in ICC multi-nation events. The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent's partition in 1947 and that rivalry is often reflected on the cricket field. Any cricket match between the two is among the most watched events on the global sporting calendar.
Pakistani media reported on Tuesday that the PCB would be unwilling to accept security reasons for India's refusal to visit. New Zealand have toured Pakistan three times in the past two years, with England visiting twice and Australia once in the same period. Pakistan also visited India for last year's ODI World Cup and the PCB had expected the gesture to be reciprocated for the Champions Trophy.
The Champions Trophy is slated to be played across three venues -- Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi -- from February 19 to March 9 next year. But a final schedule due to be announced this week has been postponed over the stand-off -- which PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi termed disappointing.
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