The International Cricket Council (ICC) has brought the coveted Champions Trophy from Dubai to Islamabad, and it’s ready to begin a scenic tour across Pakistan’s iconic landscapes before the 2025 tournament. But there’s a curious twist in the journey—this tour is kicking off without an official schedule for the tournament itself.
The tour is set to start on November 16 from the stunning Skardu Valley, taking the trophy on a picturesque journey through Pakistan’s mountain trails. Stops are planned at iconic locations like the K2 Base Camp, Murree, Hunza, and Muzaffarabad, before the tour wraps up on November 24.
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It’s all part of the ICC’s plan to stoke excitement as Pakistan readies to host the Champions Trophy from February 19 to March 9, 2025.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the schedule on their official social media accounts with the trophy tour commencing on November 16 in the capital city.
“Get ready, Pakistan,” the PCB posted. “The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour kicks off in Islamabad on 16 November, also visiting scenic travel destinations like Skardu, Murree, Hunza and Muzaffarabad.”
But here’s the surprising part: never before in ICC history has a trophy tour started without the event’s schedule being locked in due to India’s reluctance to visit Pakistan. For past tournaments, the ICC has traditionally announced schedules months in advance.
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We saw it with the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup—both had their schedules revealed well ahead of the trophy tours, giving fans and teams time to prepare.
The original plan had been to unveil the tournament schedule on November 11 in Lahore, with all of India’s matches proposed to take place in Pakistan. But with India still uncertain about playing on Pakistani soil, the ICC has found itself in a bit of a holding pattern.
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