Controversy surrounds the Champions Trophy for Pakistan, which is set to begin in the nation on February 18 and 19, respectively. However, it was reported that they might be able to skip some warm-up matches prior to the opening day, and it appears that the opening day has been postponed because the management requested that two additional countries be added—England and Australia.
According to sources, Indian captain Rohit Sharma will not be attending the captains’ meeting in Pakistan because of security concerns. If they go past the group stage, all of their matches would take place in Dubai, including the final. Given the tense tensions between India and Pakistan, this decision was made.
For the time being, the opening ceremony has been cancelled. However, other usual pre-tournament rituals, such as the press briefing and the accompanying photo session, had already been cancelled, according to insiders. However, because the schedules of the competing teams in Pakistan seemed to be too tight, PCB stated that they could host it.
Regarding Australia and England’s rejection of the warm-up matches, critics’ opinions were divided. While some bemoaned the lack of preparation time, others praised the clubs for minimising the player burden. Prior to the actual event, the two teams are scheduled to have a little break.
Even though the opening ceremony was postponed, the PCB will still host an event prior to Pakistan’s match against New Zealand in Karachi on February 19. An occasion where Pakistan’s rich cricket culture and enthusiasm for the game were to be evident would turn out to be more than simply another opening. Fans everywhere can’t wait for the Champion Trophy to start, which is scheduled for mid-February.