LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is mentally prepared for India’s refusal to travel to the country for the Champions Trophy but it won’t move the title clash of the tournament from Lahore even if the arch-rivals qualify for the final on March 9, PCB official revealed.
The PCB’s stance on hosting the final is up for debate when the International Cricket Council (ICC) Board members.
“The PCB’s first choice and priority is to host entire Champions Trophy in Pakistan and they are counting on this but internally the Board is also mentally prepared to hear about the Indian government not allowing its team to play in Pakistan and India’s matches being held in UAE,” a PCB source said.
“But the PCB has decided even in the event of India not playing in Pakistan they want the final to be held in Lahore. Even if India qualifies for the final the PCB wants the ICC to hold the match at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore,” the source said.
The bilateral cricketing ties between India and Pakistan are freezed since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 175 people lost their lives and close to 300 suffered injuries.
The BCCI may request the ICC to hold the tournament in a hybrid model and relocate their matches to either Sri Lanka or Dubai, like the Asia Cup, last year.
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