The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has requested a written confirmation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the BCCI’s stance on India’s inability to travel to Pakistan for the tournament.
Former wicketkeeper-batter Rashid Malik has stated that, if he had the authority, he would prevent Pakistan from playing against India in any tournament. He also suggested that the ICC should withhold hosting rights for global events from both countries until their issues are resolved. The BCCI has declined to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy, sparking speculation that the entire tournament may be relocated. In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formally requested written confirmation from the ICC regarding India’s decision not to travel to Pakistan for the event.
“There is a strong possibility that Pakistan may stop playing against India in cricket. If I had the power, I would take that bold step. I wouldn’t blame anyone for it. If you don’t want to play in Pakistan, then don’t play against us at all,” said Latif, known for his straightforwardness, in an interview with PTI Videos.
“If I were in charge, I would have made that decision and taken a stand against the BCCI,” he added. Latif also suggested that the ICC should withhold major tournaments from both India and Pakistan until their issues are resolved.
“In my view, the ICC should stop granting hosting rights to both countries until their issues are settled,” said the former wicketkeeper-batter, who played 37 Tests and 166 ODIs.
Addressing political interference in cricket, particularly in Asia, Latif pointed to the bans imposed on Sri Lanka (in 2023) and Zimbabwe (in 2019) by the ICC and questioned why India and Pakistan were not facing similar action.
The ICC suspended Sri Lanka Cricket in November last year due to alleged political interference in the sport’s administration, lifting the suspension in January this year.
“Why haven’t India and Pakistan been banned? Because the ICC has too much at stake with them,” Latif remarked.
Latif also criticized the BCCI’s concerns over security for the Indian team in Pakistan, pointing out that the ICC’s security team had assessed Pakistan and deemed it safe.
“This is the first time I believe the BCCI is at fault. The reason they are giving is weak. The BCCI should provide written confirmation that they and the Indian team feel threatened,” he said. “The ICC security team gave the green light for the tournament. If there were concerns, they should have raised them with them.”
Regarding whether Pakistan would withdraw from the Champions Trophy if the tournament is moved elsewhere, Latif responded, “Nobody has seen this in writing. It needs to be formalized on paper. We’ve spoken with the PCB, and they mentioned they’ve emailed the Pakistan government about it. This is a serious legal matter, and no one is willing to give it in writing.” Latif expressed confidence that the lack of matches with India would not harm Pakistan cricket’s progress.
“We went without playing at home for 12 long years—what could be more painful than that? Pakistan will still receive 34 million dollars every eight years from the ICC, regardless of whether they play against India. The wealthier boards might face losses, but not the PCB, which doesn’t have the financial resources to be as affected.”
“Pakistan can sustain itself by playing bilateral series, even if it doesn’t participate in major ICC tournaments.”
