LONDON: England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Richard Gould has expressed strong support for the 2025 Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan next year, despite the possibility of India pulling out of the event.
In a recent interview with BBC Test Match Special, Gould also discussed the exciting prospect of England hosting a Test match between India and Pakistan.
During the tea break on the first day of the third Test between England and the West Indies, Gould touched on a variety of topics, including England’s potential to facilitate a historic Test match between India and Pakistan.
The idea has been floating around for several years, with leading English venues such as Lord’s, The Oval and Edgbaston showing interest in hosting the event.
“Everyone would like that. I wouldn’t say it [hosting and testing India against Pakistan] is impossible. The politics between the BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board has been known for a long time, as has the politics between governments. And I find that fascinating,” Gould said.
“We were in Sri Lanka over the weekend for the ICC meetings and you see that the Pakistani cricket fans and the cricket fans in India are doing so well, but once the political element is thrown into it, problems arise,” he added.
Gould also confirmed the ECB’s commitment to hosting the Champions Trophy in Pakistan next year despite uncertainties over India’s participation due to political tensions.
“There is a lot of commitment to ensure [the Champions Trophy] is [hosted in Pakistan next year],” Gould said. “Especially from the PCB and the ECB.”
The last Champions Trophy was held in England in 2017 where Pakistan triumphed over India in the final to win the title.
