The spokesperson of the Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said there is no back channel with India to specifically discuss the Champions Trophy and bilateral Cricket between Pakistan and India
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Pakistan on Thursday (November 14, 2024) said that no back channel diplomacy was going on with India after the neighbouring country refused to send its cricket team for the Champions Trophy to be held in February-March next year.

The spokesperson of the Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, was asked questions at the weekly press briefing regarding the status of the cricket tournament scheduled to be held in Pakistan early next year.

“There is no back channel with India to specifically discuss the Champions Trophy and bilateral Cricket between Pakistan and India,” she said.

She added that further details with regards to the holding of Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the participation of the various teams was available with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which can share any further details.

Baloch went on to say that sports events should not be mixed with politics.

“Pakistan has always said that sports should not be politicized,” she said.

Asked whether Pakistan plans to go ahead with the Champions Trophy if India persisted with its refusal to send its team, she said that the PCB was in contact with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to discuss the arrangements, including participation of different teams in the tournament.

“We would refer you to the Pakistan Cricket Board for any comments or clarification with regards to this issue,” she said.

The BCCI has informed the ICC about its inability to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. The world body, in turn, has sought a response from the PCB on hosting the tournament in a hybrid model.

A hybrid model was followed during the Asia Cup last year, when India’s matches were held in Sri Lanka while other matches were played in Pakistan.

India’s head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma.
| Photo Credit: PTI

India captain Rohit Sharma says he wouldn’t mind playing Tests against Pakistan at a neutral venue as it would be a “great contest” against the “superb bowling line-up” of the arch-rivals.

India and Pakistan have not played bilateral cricket ever since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which over 150 people were killed. The two countries, however, routinely face off in ICC events.

Their most recent clash happened during last year’s ODI World Cup in India.

“I totally believe that they are a good team, superb bowling line-up, good contest, if we play overseas. The last Test was played way back in 2007-08,” Rohit said on ‘Club Prairie Fire’, a Youtube show hosted by former Australian keeper-batter Adam Gilchrist and former England skipper Michael Vaughan.

“Yeah, I would love to (play against Pakistan), it would be a great contest between two sides. We play them in ICC trophies, pure cricket I am looking at, great contest, so why not?” he said when asked whether Indo-Pak Tests are possible at a neutral venue like England or Australia.

Led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s traditionally pace-reliant bowling line-up currently features exciting talents like Naseem Shah, who is only 21, and Aamer Jamal.

The BCCI has maintained that any decision on bilateral cricket with Pakistan will hinge on approval from the government, which has so far not permitted cricketing engagement with the arch-foes.

Pakistan, on the other hand, has been aggressively pushing for bilateral engagement with India, even taking it up at ICC forums at every available opportunity.

Last year, India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, which was eventually conducted in a hybrid model. All of India’s scheduled games in Pakistan were relocated to Sri Lanka.

The next year’s Champions Trophy will be another bone of contention between the two countries as the tournament is set to be held in Pakistan, which has declared that it won’t agree to any change of venue to accommodate India.

The ICC, on its part, has stated that it won’t force any member nation to disregard government advisory.

“…ICC Board’s position remains that it doesn’t expect its members to go against any policy/instructions issued by its own government,” an ICC official had stated recently.