Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav claimed that the Indian team should travel to Pakistan for next year's ICC Champions Trophy and backed his stance by claiming that involving politics in sports is "not a good thing."
Moreover, Yadav also made a reference to PM Modi's visit to Pakistan in 2015 and said if the PM can travel to Pakistan, then the Indian team should as well.
While speaking to reporters, the leader said, "Involving politics into sports is not a good thing. Doesn't everyone participate in the Olympics? Why shouldn't India go there (Pakistan)? What is the objection? If the PM can go there to have Biryani - then it's good, if the India team travels - why this is not good?"
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to hold a virtual meeting today i.e. November 29 to determine the fate of the 2025 Champions Trophy, providing clarity on whether the tournament will take place in Pakistan.
Earlier, it was reported that, Pakistan Cricket Board rejected the proposed hybrid model for the upcoming Champions Trophy. The board stated that adopting a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy would effectively give preferential treatment to India. It also asked the ICC to not even discuss it in the meeting. “I can confirm that PCB has a few hours back told the ICC that a Hybrid Model is not acceptable to them,” a source told news agency PTI.
The ICC Champions Trophy is scheduled to take place in Pakistan between February and March. Due to strained political relations, India has not toured Pakistan since 2008, when they participated in the Asia Cup. The two arch-rivals last played a bilateral series in 2012-13 in India, comprising white-ball matches. Currently, they primarily face each other in ICC tournaments and Asia Cups.
(With inputs from PTI)
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