The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has been surrounded by controversies for the past few months. From India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan to last-minute construction work taking place at the stadium, the tournament has seen it all.
However, a recent controversy has rocked the tournament. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly decided not to print the name ‘Pakistan’ on India’s 2025 CT jersey.
The decision was not well received by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and they warned the BCCI against taking such a step. The ICC wants India to emblazon the name of host country Pakistan on their team jersey, which is the norm for every ICC tournament.
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BCCI gets warning from ICC
Pakistan is the official host of the Champions Trophy 2025. All participating countries, except India, will have the name of the host country printed on their jersey. According to reports, India refused to write Pakistan on their jersey as they will play their matches in Dubai.
However, according to A-Sport, the ICC has asked the BCCI to print the name ‘Pakistan’ on the Indian team’s jersey since they are the hosts. Talking about India’s theory of playing the matches in Dubai, the ICC claimed that Pakistan is still the official host.
“It is the responsibility of each team to add the tournament logo to their jerseys. All teams are required to follow this rule,” an ICC official was quoted as saying by A-Sports.
The ICC has also warned the BCCI of strict action if they refuse to print Pakistan’s name on the Indian jersey. It remains to be seen how the BCCI, which is the world’s most powerful cricket board, will act in this situation.
PCB criticizes BCCI for bringing politics into cricket
The PCB also criticized the BCCI for bringing politics into cricket and claimed that it would not be good for the game. With Pakistan’s name in print, there is also a suspicion that Indian captain Rohit Sharma is traveling to Pakistan for the opening ceremony.
“BCCI is bringing politics into cricket, which is not good at all for the game. They refused to travel to Pakistan ithey don’t want to send their captain (to Pakistan) for the opening ceremony and now there are reports that they don’t want the name of the host country (Pakistan) to be printed on their jersey,” a source quoted by Express Sports said..
BCCI vs PCB in ICC Champions Trophy 2025
PCB and BCCI have been at loggerheads over the past few months. The BCCI refused to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the tournament which forced the ICC to hold the tournament in a hybrid model.
The BCCI claimed that they did not get the necessary permission from the Indian government to send their team to Pakistan. As a result, India will play all their matches in Dubai. If India manage to qualify for the knockout stage, their matches will continue to be played in Dubai.
The tournament will begin on February 19 with hosts Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi. India’s first match will be against Bangladesh on February 20. The main clash between India and Pakistan will be held on February 23 in Dubai.
