‘ICC must ensure India’s participation in CT’

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has emphasized that the International Cricket Council (ICC) bears the responsibility of ensuring India’s participation in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy hosted by Pakistan.

Butt asserted that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should not be overly concerned about India’s availability for the event, placing the onus squarely on the ICC to enforce participation.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt stated, “If they come, then they welcome, if they don’t, the ICC has to deal with it. We will find out if they can just deal with all the other countries or can do the same with India as well. It will show how much authority they have as a regulator and how neutral they can be.”

The former skipper dismissed reports suggesting that BCCI Secretary Jay Shah had given positive signals regarding India’s participation. He argued that any such signals should not be a cause for excitement, emphasizing the ICC’s duty to ensure the presence of all teams.

“We try sensationalizing everything. There have been a few reports suggesting that Jay Shah has given a positive signal. However, I don’t think he’s given any signals. I wouldn’t have been excited even if there had been a signal from him because it is the ICC’s duty to ensure that all teams visit Pakistan,” he said.

India last toured Pakistan in 2008 for the Asia Cup. In 2023, India refused to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup, prompting the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to adopt a hybrid model for the tournament. Recently, Jay Shah confirmed that India’s senior players would participate in the 2025 Champions Trophy, but he did not specify if this included traveling to Pakistan.“When the World Cup was in India last year, it was said that Pakistan wouldn’t go unless there was confirmation from India about the Champions Trophy. The Indian media responded by saying that it was an ICC event.