The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has got a big boost in its bid to successfully host the ICC Champions Trophy early next year after Afghanistan has assured its participation in the tournament. (More Cricket News)
Afghanistan Cricket Board president Mirwais Ashraf and CEO Naseeb Khan, who were in Colombo to attend the ICC Annual Boar🧜d Meeting met with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and gave him t🃏he assurance.
"They told the chairman that Afghanistan is looking forward to sending its team to Pakistan since they are participati🍌ng in the Champions Trophy for the first time," a PCB said.
"They gave the assurance aft꧙er speculations about some countries following India's path if the BCCI decides not to send its team to Pakistan for the event," he said.
The general perception in Pakistan is that because of its financial c𓄧lout and influenℱce, the BCCI can easily sway other boards of the region, including Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to follow its path.
A former PCB chairman Khalid Mehmood🧸 recently in an interview claimed that if India didn't send its team to Pakistan, one can expect teams like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to tow the line and insisted on playing the competition at some otꦗher venue.
But during the meeting in Colombo, the ACB officials assured Naqvi of Afghanistan'ꦚs participation in the 2025 Champions Trophy, which Pakista൩n will host in February and March.
The Champions Trophy is the first major IC🌠C event scheduled in Pakistan, since joint💖ly hosting the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.
