Political unrest puts PCB on a sticky wicket

The Sri Lanka A team’s tour to Pakistan had to be cut short a couple of days ago due to intense political protests in Islamabad. The turmoil is because of a protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, which belongs to former captain and prime minister Imran Khan. There were incidents of clashes and violence reported between protestors and forces of law enforcement and security. PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, also the federal interior minister, had announced that the army was called in to quell the unrest.

But when it comes to the Champions Trophy, the PCB has remained firm on having the event there.

“All I can assure is whatever happens in the meeting we will come out with good news and decisions which will be accepted by our people,” Naqvi told reporters at Karachi on Wednesday night.

So, the primary target of the ICC members will be to make PCB embrace the ‘Hybrid’ model, at least for the league stage, in all likelihood, in the UAE and the knockouts in Pakistan. But if India advance further in the event, then the knockouts, the matches in which India feature, too might have to be shifted back to the venue of the league matches.

However, what if the PCB remains rigid and decides to pull out of the Champions Trophy in the event of ICC deciding to take it to a neutral venue?

“It’s a very unlikely scenario. It can have very far-reaching consequences for Pakistan cricket, which is not at its best in terms of financial health. India is set to host a few tournaments in the next couple of years. If Pakistan decides to boycott the Champions Trophy, then they will also have to boycott tournaments to be held in India, which in turn, can bring a lot of financial liabilities to PCB,” he added.

India are set to play host to the Asia Cup (2025), the women’s World Cup (2025) and the men’s T20 World Cup (2026), this event jointly with Sri Lanka.