ISLAMABAD (PEN) : Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has voiced his support for the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) reported decision to avoid traveling to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The tournament, which is set to take place in Pakistan from February to March, has raised concerns about India’s participation. The BCCI is currently seeking government approval to visit Pakistan, and media reports suggest that the Indian team may not travel there. Instead, Dubai and Sri Lanka have been proposed as alternative venues for India’s matches.
Harbhajan Singh has expressed his agreement with the BCCI’s stance, citing significant security concerns in Pakistan. He emphasized the importance of player safety, stating, “Why should the Indian team go to Pakistan? There is a safety concern in Pakistan. The situation is such that incidents occur almost daily.”
Singh praised the BCCI’s decision, affirming, “It’s not safe for the team to go there. The BCCI’s stance is absolutely correct—nothing is more important than the safety of our players. I fully support the BCCI’s decision.”
India previously declined to travel to Pakistan for the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023, resulting in a hybrid model for the event with Sri Lanka as a co-host. Since the Asia Cup in 2008, political tensions have prevented Indian teams from visiting Pakistan, while Pakistan has traveled to India multiple times, with their most recent visit being for the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023.
