Jaishankar & Pak Counterpart Discuss Cricket At SCO Summit; Will India Team Travel For Champions Trophy?

New Delhi: Cricket enthusiast Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, zeroed in on the game both the countries love, as in an icebreaker to their conversation at the SCO Summit in Islamabad. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, who is also Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board was also looped in.

In the first direct conversation between the two Foreign Ministers since 2015, Jaishankar and Dar spoke twice in less than 24 hours, and there were indications that these talks explored the idea of resuming some form of cricketing ties between the two countries, The Indian Express reported.

The idea being explored was to resume some form of cricketing ties and the possibility of the Indian cricket team travelling to Pakistan for the matches. One possible window of opportunity is the Champions Trophy to be hosted by Pakistan from February 19 to March 9, 2025, TIE reported quoting sources.

While sources cautioned that these were very preliminary conversations and needed to be “thought through” on both sides, “the atmospherics were good” and, unlike the SCO meeting in Goa in May 2023, there were no fireworks this time, the report added.

Notably, there have been efforts of late by the PCB to convince India to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. Those in the know say the PCB has given the BCCI various options regarding the itinerary for the first visit of their cricketers across the border in 17 years, TIE explained.

While the PCB had decided to schedule all three league games involving India in Lahore, the broadcasters wanted them to also play at other venues. Considering this request, the PCB floated the idea of having a game in Rawalpindi. The PCB communication to the BCCI also stated that Lahore was earmarked as the venue because this would allow India to travel home after every game if the side so wished.

The PCB has been urging India to travel to Pakistan for the matches. If the Indian team does go, it will be the team’s first visit across the border in 17 years. A bilateral series will require massive tweaks in their busy calendars. Both India and Pakistan teams have packed schedules at home and abroad.