“Catch a glimpse of the trophy which Sarfaraz Ahmed lifted in 2017,” states the PCB.
Even if the Indian team’s trip to Pakistan for the event in February of next year is questionable, the trophy tour for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will begin from Islamabad on November 16.
The trophy tour will start in Islamabad and visit picturesque locations including Skardu, Murree, Hunza, and Muzaffarabad, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on X.
“Catch a glimpse of the trophy which Sarfaraz Ahmed lifted in 2017 at The Oval, from 16-24 November,” wrote the cricket body.
Two days prior to the planned start of the trophy trip, the esteemed utensils were transported from Dubai to Islamabad.
Notably, it would be the first time the trophy tour for an ICC event would take place prior to the tournament schedule being revealed, which usually happens four months before the start date.
According to reports earlier today, the broadcasters are pressuring the ICC to make the Champions Trophy schedule public right away.
The highly anticipated tournament’s schedule was supposed to be revealed earlier this week, but the delay was caused by the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) refusal.
The sources claim that the broadcasters, who paid a record $3 billion for the rights until 2027, were guaranteed a cycle that would feature popular Pakistan-India matches, which usually bring in the most money and viewers.
India’s obstinacy, however, has put the entire scenario in jeopardy, and there is now no set timeline for the schedule announcement.
It is important to note that the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) strong opposition to the suggested hybrid format and India’s decision to skip Pakistan have put the ICC in a “catch-22.”
