NEW DELHI: To guarantee the finest security measures for the neighbors, the
Pakistan
Cricket Board has proposed Lahore as India's home base during the
ICC Champions Trophy
next year.
This recommendation, according to a trustworthy
PCB
source, was included in the event's draft itinerary that was submitted to the ICC in late April.
"Yes Lahore has been suggested as the home base for the Indian team to reduce their travelling and to provide them with the best security arrangements," the source said.
Due to security concerns, India declined to participate in Pakistan during the
Asia Cup
last year; as a result, their matches were rescheduled to Sri Lanka.
The ICC 50-over tournament is scheduled to take place in Pakistan on February 19-March 9 of the next year.
The PCB has retained Karachi and Rawalpindi as additional locations for
Champions Trophy
matches; however, the ICC executive board has not yet approved the draft schedule.
This is the first time since 1996 that Pakistan will be hosting any major
ICC event
although it did host the entire Asia Cup in 2008 and also some games of the same event last year.
Whether it will send the national team to Pakistan for the ICC event has not yet been officially confirmed by the
BCCI
.
The PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, has hinted that a significant change is imminent for the Pakistan team after their six-run defeat by India in Sunday's T20 World Cup match in New York.
In addition, he declared that prior to the Champions Trophy, all three of the stadiums in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi will be renovated.
The PCB has also announced that it will hold the
Pakistan Super League
in April of the following year in order to accommodate the Champions Trophy. Prior to the ICC tournament, the PCB also wants to host a tri-series with South Africa and New Zealand as participating teams.
(With PTI inputs)
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