Despite the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refusing to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, which resulted in the tournament being played as per the hybrid model with the Indian team playing all of their matches in Dubai, captain Rohit Sharma might attend the tournament’s opening ceremony in Lahore, reported Indian media on Wednesday.
According to Indian news agency IANS, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is aiming to host a grand opening ceremony at Lahore’s Gaddafi on 16 or 17 February, shortly before defending champions Pakistan take on New Zealand in the opening game in Karachi.
Captains of all the participating teams are to be present in the opening ceremony, as is the custom across ICC events, meaning Rohit could be boarding a flight to Pakistan for the first time in nearly 17 years.
“Indian team captain will visit Pakistan to attend the opening ceremony of the Champions Trophy as PCB plans a grand event, marking the return of a mega international cricket event to Pakistan after 29 years,” sources told the IANS.