We will bear the wounds, but not let ourselves be dishonoured: Mohsin Naqvi's blunt stand for Champions Trophy

The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, has taken an unapologetic stand in light of the International Cricket Council (ICC)'s stance on hosting the Champions Trophy.

Speaking on Geo News' Geo Pakistan program, senior sports journalist Abdul Majid Bhatti revealed that PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi went to Dubai yesterday, where he spent a busy day at the ICC headquarters.

"Mohsin Naqvi held one-on-one meetings with ICC officials. The PCB Chairman met ICC CEO Jeff  Allardyce and other officials, but many PCB officials in Lahore are unaware of his departure for Dubai," he revealed.

"Mohsin Naqvi presented Pakistan's position sternly to the ICC officials and also outlined Pakistan's legal stance regarding the Champions Trophy. He is still in Dubai today, where he will join the ICC board meeting via video link," Bhatti added.

"Voting in the ICC emergency meeting regarding the hosting of the Champions Trophy is the last option.

“If we talk about the hybrid model, then undoubtedly, the most popular venue is Dubai, which is close to both Pakistan and India and has a large number of citizens from both countries. However, Pakistan is not considering this option at the moment. If such a situation arises, Mohsin Naqvi will consult the Pakistani government again and respond to the ICC," he said.

He also speculated that there is a possibility that a decision regarding the Champions Trophy may not be made in today's meeting, and the matter will be deferred to the next meeting, during which Jay Shah will take over the ICC presidency.

“Jay Shah will be expected to fulfil the requirements of justice, but obviously, he will not do so and will follow the policies of the BJP,” Bhatti said.

The ICC board meeting will begin at 3 pm Pakistani time. This will be the last meeting of Greg Barclay as ICC Chairman.

According to Geo, Mohsin Naqvi has made it clear to the ICC that the Pakistan Board is firm on its stance regarding the Champions Trophy and that they will bear the scars and not allow themselves to be dishonoured.

The ICC has not yet been able to announce the new schedule for the Champions Trophy due to Indian stubbornness, which is also worrying broadcasters, who fear a loss of millions of dollars.

The ICC has called a board meeting for Friday, November 29. An ICC spokesperson has confirmed that this meeting will be held online, and the agenda has been sent to all board members.

The scheduling and future of the Champions Trophy will be considered during the meeting, and various options for the Champions Trophy will be discussed.

The PCB also told the ICC that if a formula is devised to play matches with India at a neutral venue, Pakistan will never go to India to play.

On the other hand, according to a report by the cricket website Cricinfo, the option of holding the Champions Trophy in Pakistan without India may be discussed in the ICC board meeting. The choice of a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy will also be addressed, in which most of the events will be played in Pakistan, but India's matches will be held in another country.

According to the cricket website, the board meeting will also discuss the proposal to hold the entire tournament in another country, with PCB as the host. However, the chances of a "minus India" formula are low due to commercial value.

The PCB has already discussed the "minus India" proposal based on past examples.