Wasim Akram urges India to take on Pakistan in Champions Trophy 2025

“I think whatever I read, there are good vibes coming out of it [the] Government of India and [the] BCCI,” said Akram. “I also read somewhere that they will play almost all their matches in Lahore. They will probably come to Lahore and leave [back] that night. I am all for it, as long as India is free.

“And I can promise you, father [are] you will be treated incredibly well. I mean, Indian cricketers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, [Hardik] Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, have fans in Pakistan. Young cricket fans love them.”

Speaking ahead of Pakistan’s six-match ODI and T20I tour starting on Monday, Akram was optimistic that India would come to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.

“Communication between people is very important in this day and age,” he said. “In this age of social media, there is a lot of wrong around the world, unnecessary negativity in my opinion, and I think if India comes, it will be good for cricket, and of course, it will be good for Pakistan.”

India have not played an international match in Pakistan since 2008, and the UAE is believed to be the best – though not the only – alternative in the event of a partial Champions Trophy draw. The BCCI did not send a team to Pakistan last year for the Asia Cup, which led to the tournament being changed to an integrated format and the final stages being played in Sri Lanka.

But Pakistan traveled to India after that for the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they missed out on a place in the semi-finals.

The Champions Trophy will consist of eight teams, with two groups of four, followed by semi-finals and finals. The teams that will compete are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa.