‘Jay Shah jo bolenge wahi…’: Ex-Pakistan cricketer slams India’s reported refusal to play Champions Trophy | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has expressed strong opinions regarding India’s reported reluctance to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.
Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Ali criticized several international cricket boards for aligning with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“5-6 boards jo haina dum hilate huye woh baat karenge jo Jay Shah bolenge (Those 5-6 boards just follow whatever Jay Shah says).If he says the Champions Trophy will be in Pakistan, they’ll agree. If he says it’ll be a hybrid model, they’ll go with that too. It’s because when their players play in the IPL, BCCI pays their boards a huge amount whether it’s the English board, New Zealand board, West Indies board, or Australian board,” Ali stated.
Ali also commented on the recent developments involving the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
“PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has been given a lollipop. Basically, he’s been told (by other boards) that after the Champions Trophy, we (Pakistan) should play a bilateral series against India. Whether it’s in Australia or England, they’ll (other boards) convince India to play.”
Expressing his personal stance, Ali argued that Pakistan should not concede to playing the bilateral series in a third country if India are unwilling to play in Pakistan.
“I think that if the bilateral series isn’t happening in India or Pakistan, the Pakistan board should say no to playing in a third country. If India are not willing to play in our country, then we shouldn’t agree to play the series in another country either,” he added.

The reaction comes amid reports that the Indian cricket team is unlikely to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in 2025.
The BCCI plans to request the International Cricket Council (ICC) to adopt a hybrid model, potentially relocating India’s matches to Sri Lanka or Dubai.
The ICC Champions Trophy is scheduled for February to March 2025 in Pakistan.
Due to tense political relationships, Team India has not played in Pakistan since the Asia Cup in 2008. The last bilateral series between the two nations occurred in 2012-13, with India hosting Pakistan for two T20Is and three ODIs. Since then, their encounters have been limited to ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup.
A similar situation arose during last year’s Asia Cup, initially planned for Pakistan. However, all of India’s matches, including those against Pakistan, were held in Sri Lanka, with the final taking place in Colombo, where India emerged victorious.