The ongoing controversy surrounding the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has intensified following objections raised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the planned tour of the trophy to the controversially-claimed region called ‘Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK)’. The issue has cast further uncertainty over the competition, which is already facing several logistical and diplomatic challenges.

The controversy erupted after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that the Champions Trophy silverware would embark on a tour of Pakistan starting November 16, with stops in several key locations, including Skardu, Hunza, and Muzaffarabad in PoK.

The PCB highlighted these scenic destinations on its official social media platforms. The planned tour was intended to culminate in a visit to K2, the world's second-highest peak.

However, this tour was met with swift opposition from the BCCI. According to a report from Cricbuzz, Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary and incoming ICC Chair, expressed strong disapproval of the proposed itinerary, particularly the inclusion of PoK, which remains a highly sensitive region. According to a BCCI official, the visit to PoK was “not acceptable” to the Indian board, prompting them to lodge a formal protest with the ICC.

In response to the BCCI’s objections, the PCB has now been forced to reconsider the tour's route. Sources within the PCB indicated that the decision to include these locations in the tour had been made after extensive consultation with the ICC and its commercial partners. Despite this, the PCB now finds itself in a position where it must work closely with the ICC to ensure that the trophy's journey continues as planned.

One possible solution being discussed is to limit the tour to Pakistan's major hosting cities, such as Rawalpindi, Karachi, and Lahore, which were not originally on the list due to weather concerns.

Issues mounting in Champions Trophy

This latest development adds to the mounting issues surrounding the Champions Trophy. Earlier, the BCCI had already declared its refusal to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, citing security and political concerns.

This stance, coupled with the ongoing dispute over the tournament’s format, has raised serious doubts about the viability of the competition. The hybrid model, which includes games played outside Pakistan, has been opposed by the PCB, further complicating an already delicate situation.

As the ICC works to mediate the dispute, the future of the Champions Trophy remains in limbo. The board's failure to reach a resolution on both the tournament's format and its scheduling has left stakeholders uncertain about whether the prestigious event will even take place in its planned form.

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