'Apne Credibility Ke Baare Main Soche': PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi Accuses BCCI of Influencing ICC

In a sharp response to questions regarding the cancellation of the ICC Champions Trophy trophy tour to Pakistan -Occupied Kashmir (PoK), Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi accused the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of exerting undue influence on the International Cricket Council (ICC). Naqvi’s comments came after media reports claimed that the trophy tour to PoK had been cancelled, a statement he later clarified.

PCB chief urges ICC to be unbias

The ICC has excluded Skardu, Murree, and Muzaffarabad, regions within PoK, from the Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour. This decision follows concerns raised by the BCCI regarding the tour plan shared by the PCB.

Speaking to reporters, Mohsin Naqvi emphasized that the tour has been rescheduled and not cancelled. "ICC ko apne credibility ke baare main khud sochna hoga. Woh duniya ki tamam cricket boards ki apex body hai. Aur dusra woh PoK ka trophy tour reschedule hua hai, cancel nahi hua," Naqvi said, underscoring the need for the ICC to maintain neutrality and consistency in its decisions.

The controversy stemmed from the fact that the ICC Champions Trophy trophy tour, initially planned to visit PoK, was moved after reports that the Indian authorities had raised objections to the tour. This was seen by some as the ICC bowing to pressure from the BCCI, which, as Mohsin Naqvi hinted, has been known to influence cricket's global governing body when it comes to politically sensitive issues.

The Pakistani reporter who asked Naqvi about the issue also referred to a similar situation from the 2023 Cricket World Cup when the BCCI took the World Cup trophy to Ladakh, a region that Pakistan refers to as Indian-Occupied Kashmir (IoK). 

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For now, the fate of the ICC Champions Trophy trophy tour to PoK remains uncertain, with the PCB chairman urging the governing body to act in a way that protects its reputation and credibility on the world stage. Meanwhile, the PCB is also concerned about the BCCI's decision to not send a team to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.