LAHORE – The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has started mulling ‘Minus India’ formula after Indian team’s refusal to visit Pakistan for upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The sources said that Pakistan adopted a strong stance against the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision not to send a team for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and has started considering the “Minus India” formula.
To reinforce its firm position against India, the PCB plans to cite examples from the 1996 and 2003 World Cups.
In 1996, Australia and the West Indies refused to play in Sri Lanka while in 2003, New Zealand declined to play in Kenya and England refused to play in Zimbabwe. The ICC awarded points to the opposing teams in those cases.
Sources said that the PCB’s stance in the ICC will be that in the past, when teams refused to participate, the venue was not changed. Based on these precedents, Pakistan intends to take a strong stand.
Additionally, sources suggest that Pakistan might propose a “Minus India” Champions Trophy, as India has not provided any written communication regarding its stance on the event.
The PCB is also expected to urge the ICC to ask India to present its position in writing.
Earlier, it was reported that Pakistan would write a letter to the ICC in the next couple of days, based on government guidelines, with legal consultations already completed for this purpose.
