Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh believes that the Indian cricket team should not go to Pakistan for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy because the security in Pakistan is not stable. He also agrees with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for asking the government’s permission before deciding to join the tournament. The BCCI has not said anything about this matter yet and mentioned that the Indian government will make the final decision about going to Pakistan. “Why should the Indian team go to Pakistan? There are safety concerns in Pakistan. The situation there is not good, with incidents happening almost every day. I don’t think it’s safe for the team to go there. The BCCI’s decision is right, and nothing is more important than the safety of our players. I support the BCCI’s decision,” Harbhajan said on Thursday.
Pakistan has assured that all of India’s games will take place in Lahore, and the Indian team will stay at the same hotel for the entire tournament. They believe that keeping the team in one city will make it simpler to provide strong security.
Additionally, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has recently said they have bought land next to the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore to build a 5-star hotel. Insiders say that the PCB intends to build the hotel themselves and hopes to finish it by early next year.
According to PCB insiders, this new 5-star hotel will mean that teams won’t need to stay in faraway hotels, which will also stop the need for road closures for security reasons.
The Indian cricket team didn’t go to Pakistan for the Asia Cup last year, so their games were played in Sri Lanka instead.
Pakistan and India haven’t had any series just between them since 2012. The Indian government only allows cricket matches with Pakistan in international events like those run by the ICC or ACC.