The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy has been surrounded by controversy in recent months. From India's refusal to travel to Pakistan to last-minute construction work going on at the stadium, the tour has seen it all.
However, a recent controversy has taken the tournament by storm. The Board of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) has reportedly decided not to print the name 'Pakistan' on India's jersey for CT 2025.
The decision was not taken well by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and they warned the BCCI against taking such a step. The ICC wants India to print the name of the host country, Pakistan, on their team jersey, which is a norm for every ICC tournament..
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BCCI receives warning from ICC
Pakistan is the official host of the 2025 Champions Trophy, all participating countries except India will have the name of the host country written 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 India team jersey as they are the hosts. While talking about India's theory of playing their matches in Dubai, the ICC maintained that Pakistan is still the official host.
“It is the responsibility of each team to add the tournament logo on their shirts. 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 it refuses to print Pakistan's name on the Indian jersey. It remains to be seen how the BCCI, which is the most powerful cricket board in the world, handles 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 doubt that Indian captain Rohit Sharma is traveling to Pakistan for the opening ceremony.
“BCCI is bringing politics into cricket which is not at all good for the game. They refused to travel to Pakistan andThey 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 nation (Pakistan) printed on their jersey,” a source was quoted as saying by Express. Sport.
BCCI vs PCB in ICC Champions Trophy 2025
PCB and BCCI have been at loggerheads for 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 make it through to the knockout stages, their matches will continue to be held in Dubai.
The tournament will begin from February 19, with hosts Pakistan taking on New Zealand in Karachi. India's first match will be against Bangladesh on February 20. The India-Pakistan brand match will take place on February 23 in Dubai.