India’s cricket captain Rohit Sharma is unlikely to travel to Pakistan for the captains’ interaction ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, according to reports from Pakistani news channel Geo TV and Indian website Cricbuzz. This development has led to the cancellation of the tournament’s opening ceremony, as England and Australia’s travel plans have also disrupted the schedule.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has remained silent on the matter, while the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revealed its plans for the event. Traditionally, captains of all participating teams gather for a pre-tournament photo-op and press conference, but this year’s event in Pakistan, the first ICC tournament hosted by the country since 1996, will see a deviation from the norm.
India will not travel to Pakistan due to security concerns and will instead play all their matches in Dubai, including the final if they qualify. This has raised questions about Rohit Sharma’s availability for the captains’ event. Reports suggest that Rohit and captains from other teams are unlikely to arrive in Pakistan before the tournament begins, prompting the PCB to cancel the captains’ photoshoot and press conference altogether.
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England and Australia are set to arrive in Lahore on February 18 and 19, respectively, while Bangladesh and India will land in Dubai on February 15. Afghanistan will reach Islamabad on February 12, and New Zealand and South Africa will already be in Pakistan following a tri-nation ODI series.
The cancellation of the opening ceremony is attributed to the differing arrival schedules of the teams. England and Australia have also decided to skip their warm-up matches, citing tight schedules and the need for player workload management. England’s extensive tour of India and Australia’s Sri Lanka tour have left little time for preparation, forcing both teams to enter the tournament directly.
Despite the absence of an opening ceremony, the PCB plans to hold a special event before the Pakistan vs New Zealand match on February 19 in Karachi to celebrate Pakistan’s hosting of the prestigious tournament. The Champions Trophy 2025, set to begin in mid-February, promises to be a thrilling cricketing spectacle, even without the traditional pre-tournament festivities.
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