'Why it's being discussed again...': Atul Wassan on India's refusal to visit Pakistan for CT 2025

New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) Amid reports of India's refusal to travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025, former India cricketer Atul Wassan expressed his frustration on the issue that it comes up whenever it has been already decided that India doesn't want to travel to Pakistan. It has been reported that the BCCI have informed the ICC that India would not travel to Pakistan for the mega event and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sought the guidance of the federal government.

"This is a dictum by a government and our management and it is something that everybody is on the same page that we don't want to play with them (Pakistan) in their home. No matter how much pressure PCB tries to create, the decision has already been made once and for all. Every time this comes up, I wonder why it’s even discussed again when everything is clear. They know we’re not going there, and we know we’re not going to Pakistan," Wassan told IANS.

During the 2023 ODI World Cup, Pakistan voiced displeasure at travelling to India, yet participated. "When the World Cup was in India, they said that if India doesn’t come, then they won’t come to India either. Such bold statements shouldn’t be made because they have a need to come here; we don’t need to go there," he added.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has consistently asserted that if India wants to play against Pakistan, it should be prepared to travel to Pakistan. However, India's security concerns and the ongoing geopolitical tensions have reinforced its hesitation to participate in matches on Pakistani soil.

"When we face hardship, when we are attacked when we have lost so many of our soldiers, and then we start playing cricket, it sends the message that everything is fine. They think cricket is a way to show that no matter what happens if we’re playing, there are no issues. But we have taken that from them by deciding not to play cricket with them," he concluded.

--IANS

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