'Politics shouldn’t come into sports.. Hum bahut acche log hai': Shoaib Malik urges Indian team to come to Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has urged the Indian Cricket Team to consider visiting Pakistan next year for the ICC Champions Trophy in February. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet given any official approval, but reports suggest the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is looking to the ICC to convince India to participate.

Shoaib Malik on Champions Trophy

Ex-PAK skipper Malik said that political tensions between the two nations should not affect sports. He highlighted the hospitality of Pakistani people and requested the Indian team to visit for the marquee event.

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"Whatever reservations there are between the countries, that's a separate issue and should be solved separately. Politics shouldn't come into sports. The Pakistan team went to India last year, and now it's a good opportunity for the Indian team too. I think there are many players in the Indian team who haven't played in Pakistan, so it would be great for them. Hum bahut acche log hai (we are good people). We're very hospitable people, so I'm sure the Indian team should definitely come," Malik said on a Pakistani YouTube channel to journalist Saleem Khaliq.

During the recent ICC annual conference in Sri Lanka, discussions on the Champions Trophy schedule and format did not occur. According to the draft schedule, Lahore will host all of India's matches, including the semi-final and final, with the India vs Pakistan match slated for March 1. Last year, Pakistan planned to host the Asia Cup alone, but due to BCCI's intervention, Sri Lanka co-hosted and hosted India's matches. With only six months remaining until the Champions Trophy begins, the ICC faces a crucial decision regarding India's participation. The resolution of this issue in the coming weeks will be pivotal.

It has also been speculated that BCCI might seek to relocate their matches to alternative venues such as Sri Lanka or Dubai in a hybrid model, similar to the Asia Cup 2023 where India's matches were hosted in Sri Lanka along with the semi-finals and Final.

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