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As the countdown to ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 continues, fans are eagerly waiting for the highly anticipated India versus Pakistan clash, which is scheduled to be held on February 23 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. With a lot of eyeballs already on this match, former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has opened up on the experience that Indian players would have had if they travelled to Pakistan.
It is to be noted that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) along with the Indian government refrained from Rohit Sharma-led Team India to travel to Pakistan for the marquee tournament due to security concerns. After several discussion, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) finally accepted the tournament to be held in a hybrid model with India playing all its matches in Dubai.
I really wanted Indian team to come to Pakistan: Mohammad Amir
Speaking in an exclusive interaction with The Times of India (TOI), the former Pakistan pacer exclaimed, “I really wanted the Indian team to come to Pakistan. As a player, I want Pakistan to go to India and India to come to Pakistan.” “There are no boundaries in cricket; those who set boundaries, I’ve always been against that,” said Amir.
“I was hopeful that India would come , and Indian team Pakistan aati to unko maza ata (India would have enjoyed it too). The players would have enjoyed it a lot, but at the end of the day, players don’t have control over these things,” he continued. Furthermore, reflecting on the current situation, Amir said while Pakistan will not be travelling to India either, this seems not an ideal situation. “But now, you see, even Pakistanis are not going to India; this has been decided, which in my opinion, is not a good thing. I hope in the future, there will be a resolution to end these issues,” he said.
Talking of Pakistan’s fate in ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Amir feels that the Men in Green have a high possibility of defending the title, seeing that they defeated Australia and South Africa. “I have high hopes because Pakistan have recently won both away series. And I think this is a huge achievement for Pakistan, to win in Australia against Australia and then in South Africa against South Africa,” Amir concluded.
The Mohammad Rizwan-led Pakistan are placed in Group A for the Champions Trophy 2025, alongside arch-rivals India, New Zealand and Bangladesh. While they will play New Zealand in the tournament opener at the National Stadium in Karachi on February 19, the much-awaited India versus Pakistan clash is set to be held on February 23 in Dubai.
