Pakistan's legendary speedster Shoaib Akhtar opened up on the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) demand for the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. The upcoming Champions Trophy is supposed to take place in Pakistan, but after the Indian government denied permission to the cricket board to send their team to the neighbouring nation, citing players' safety, the mega event will be played in a hybrid model.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was adamant for not agreeing to the hybrid model for the marquee event but now PCB reportedly agreed to the hybrid model with some demands and one of their demand from ICC is a hybrid model to remain a solution for every ICC tournament played in India until 2031. Incidentally, India will host four ICC tournaments in the next seven years.
This means Pakistan will not travel to India for any tournament. However, Akhtar, who played a lot of cricket in India, reckons that the Pakistan cricket team should extend a hand of friendship by playing in India. He further advised the Men in Green to play in India and defeat the Men in Blue on their home soil.
"In terms of playing in India in the future, we should extend a hand of friendship and go there. My belief has always been, go to India and defeat them there. India mein khelo aur wahi unhe maarke aao (play in India and beat them on their home ground). I understand that the hybrid model had already been signed earlier," Akhtar said on a Pakistani channel.
Akhar praised PCB's other demand from ICC where he asked the cricketing governing body for higher revenue
"You are getting paid for hosting rights and revenue, and that's fine-we all understand it. Pakistan's stance is also reasonable. They should have maintained a strong position, why not? Once we are able to host the Champions Trophy in our country and they are unwilling to come, they should share the revenue with us at a higher rate. That's a good call," Akhtar said.
ICC is yet to announce the schedule of Champions Trophy 2025 which is supposed to take place next year.
