New Delhi: Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has strongly condemned the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) announcement to conduct the Champions Trophy tour in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), reiterating India’s objection to the move. Jay Shah raised the matter with the International Cricket Council (ICC), urging the body to take appropriate action in light of the BCCI’s concerns over territorial integrity and political interference in sports, sources have said.

In a desperate and provoking move, the Pakistan Cricket Board had announced that the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will begin its trophy tour in Islamabad on November 16, covering locations including Skardu, Murree, Hunza, and Muzaffarabad in the country. Notably, Skardu, Hunza, and Muzaffarabad are situated in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

However, Pakistan’s move to provoke India came under immediate notice and faced objection from the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) following which the International Cricket Council (ICC) cancelled the proposed trophy tour in these cities.

International shame to Pakistan’s desperate PoK move after strong objection from BCCI

The BCCI strongly objected to Pakistan Cricket Board’s purported move to take the Champions Trophy for a tour of the disputed ‘Pakistan Occupied Kashmir’ (POK), prompting the global body ICC to put the promotional event on hold.

The tournament, last played in 2017, is already in limbo after the BCCI officially intimated ICC about Indian cricket team’s inability to travel to Pakistan.

The PCB in return, as of now, has rejected the proposed ‘Hybrid Model’ with India playing its matches in Dubai. The schedule has also been put on hold and the new controversy could only make things ugly.

It is learnt that BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Friday spoke to the top brass of the ICC and condemned this move by Pakistan and has urged the global body to take strong note.

“The BCCI secretary, after it came to his notice, called up the ICC and was extremely critical of PCB’s move to conduct a Trophy tour of multiple cities which fall under Pakistan Occupied Kashmir,” a senior BCCI official privy to the development told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

“He has urged the ICC to take strong action. As far as Islamabad is concerned, there is no issue but there can’t be any Trophy tour to POK.” The Trophy Tour is part of the global body’s promotional campaign, involving visits to multiple cities as per discussions between the international body and the host country.

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), without prior consultation with all stakeholders, announced on its official social media that the Trophy would be taken to Skardu, Murree, and Hunza — areas that fall under the disputed territory.

“Get ready, Pakistan! The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour kicks off in Islamabad on 16 November, also visiting scenic travel destinations like Skardu, Murree, Hunza and Muzaffarabad. Catch a glimpse of the trophy which Sarfaraz Ahmed lifted in 2017 at The Oval, from 16-24 November,” PCB tweeted.

When an ICC Board Member was contacted, he told, “The discussions on Trophy tour is still on. I am not aware if PCB had kept everyone in loop about the four cities mentioned but if not then it was certainly not the right thing to do. I don’t think ICC will allow PCB to take the trophy to any disputed region.”

With inputs from PTI