PM Shehbaz Sharif said that Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi’s stance reflected the voice of Pakistanis

SPORTS DESK

LAHORE: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has lauded the principled stance of Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi’s stance over holding of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.

Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at his residence on Sunday and briefed him about the recent developments regarding the ICC Champions trophy.

The tournament is due to be held in Pakistan in February-March next, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to send its team to Pakistan after non-issuance of no-objection certificate (NOC) by its government to travel to Pakistan. The BCCI has demanded to play the tournament on a hybrid model with Indian team’s matches and the final to be played in some other country like the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Mohsin Naqvi asked the ICC to allow a similar concession to Pakistan in all the ICC events to be played in India.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said that Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi’s stance reflected the voice of Pakistanis, adding that Naqvi had represented sentiments of the 240 million Pakistanis before the ICC.

“Pakistan’s prestige is the first and foremost while everything else is secondary,” the premier stressed.

Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi, who also holds the portfolio of country’s interior minister, said the PCB is fully prepared to conduct the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan and all preparations were in place.

He assured that the PCB wants Pakistan and cricket to be the winners, adding that the nation will receive a good news on the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan.