ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Kamran Akmal wants India to travel to Pakistan, ‘pehle aapne Asia Cup le liya, ab…’

Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal has said that Team India should travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. While speaking exclusively to Times of India, Akmal emphasized the importance of keeping politics separate from sports, adding that “when a team like Australia can visit Pakistan, why not India?”

With ICC Champions Trophy is set to be held in Pakistan in 2025, there have been speculations if India will be travelling to the country for the mega event.

The ICC Champions Trophy is scheduled to take place in Pakistan between February and March. However, due to the ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan, the Indian cricket team has not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup.

While speaking to TOI, Akmal expressed gratitude for having had the opportunity to play in India and participate in various series.

“I really enjoyed those times. India should travel to Pakistan, and Pakistan should go to India. Let’s keep the political matters aside and play and love cricket,” Akmal was quoted as saying by the Times of India,” he told TOI.

He questioned, “When a team like Australia can visit Pakistan, why not India?"

Kamran during his exclusive interview also expressed his frustration over India’s stance towards Pakistan. He pointed out that Pakistan had already lost the opportunity to host the Asia Cup and now faces uncertainty over the ICC Champions Trophy.

He said, “Pehle aapne Asia Cup le liya, ab Champions Trophy ki baatein kar rahe hain. Kyun kar rahe hain aap aisa? (First you took away the Asia Cup from Pakistan; now talking about the Champions Trophy, why?)”

He further added that the Pakistan has done lot of hard work to restore cricket within the country, emphasizing that if India were to invite Pakistan to play, the Pakistani government would have fully supported it.

“… Pakistan has done a lot of hard work to bring cricket back to the country. If India invites Pakistan, our government will never stop us. They will say, ‘Go and play.’ The Indian government should do the same. Let’s keep politics aside and play cricket,” Akmal said as quoted by TOI.