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In a break from tradition, there will be no official ICC captain’s press conference or photoshoot ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan. The pre-tournament event, which has been a regular feature of ICC tournaments, will be skipped due to logistical challenges and the hybrid model in place for the competition.
This is the first ICC tournament in Pakistan since 1996, and while a formal opening ceremony was never announced, the PCB will host a special event in Lahore on February 16 to mark the tournament’s commencement. ICC officials present in Pakistan at the time are expected to attend.
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Logistical Issues and Scheduling Conflicts
📍 The tournament will be played across four venues in two countries – Pakistan and UAE (for India’s matches).
📍 Teams are arriving in Pakistan close to the start of the tournament, making a central captains’ event difficult.
📍 Australia, for instance, will land in Pakistan only on February 19, the same day as the opening match.
Instead of a captains’ photoshoot, the ICC could opt for an alternative promotional launch, similar to the T20 World Cup 2024, where all 20 captains were projected onto the Rockefeller Center in New York.
No India-Pakistan Captain’s Meet
The cancellation of the captains’ event also avoids the issue of India captain Rohit Sharma traveling to Pakistan. India will not play any matches in Pakistan, as per the hybrid model, and will instead compete in Dubai.
⚠️ Until last week, the BCCI had not discussed whether Rohit would travel for the captains’ event.
⚠️ India’s government has not given permission for the national team to travel to Pakistan.
⚠️ This hybrid model will remain in place for ICC events in India until 2027, allowing Pakistan to play outside India.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have resulted in no bilateral series since 2012, with encounters limited to ICC events. While Pakistan has traveled to India for ICC tournaments, India has not played in Pakistan since 2008.
The BCCI also recently denied reports that it had objected to Pakistan’s name on their official Champions Trophy jerseys.
Pakistan to Inaugurate Refurbished Stadiums
🏟 Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on February 7, a day before the Pakistan vs. South Africa tri-series opener.
🏟 Karachi’s National Stadium will be inaugurated by President Asif Ali Zardari on February 11.
With no captains’ event, the focus will now be on these stadium unveilings and the on-field action when the tournament begins on February 19.
