SRINAGAR: The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy Global Tour commenced in Islamabad on Saturday, but cities in Kashmir on the other side of the Line of Comtrol have been conspicuously omitted from the itinerary. The International Cricket Council (ICC) revised the schedule after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) objected to including PoK locations in the Trophy’s Pakistan leg.
Initially, the Trophy Tour was set in Skardu, Hunza, and Muzaffarabad. However, following India’s protest, the ICC and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) agreed to restrict the tour to locations within Pakistan. The revised itinerary now includes major cities such as Karachi, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Abbottabad in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.
The Trophy Tour kicked off in Islamabad with displays at iconic landmarks such as Daman-e-Koh, Faisal Mosque, and the Pakistan Monument. Former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar accompanied the Trophy at the launch. Subsequent stops include Taxila and Khanpur (17 November), Abbottabad (18 November), Murree (19 November), and Nathia Gali (20 November), before concluding its Pakistan leg in Karachi from 22 to 25 November.
