The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made its position clear regarding two important matters ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025: 

  1. Indian players have to wear jerseys having the name of Pakistan as the host country for the Champions Trophy
  2. Captain Rohit Sharma’s participation in the captain’s press conference for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.

This follows tensions between India and Pakistan, especially after the BCCI pressured the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move the matches scheduled in Pakistan to the UAE.

Why is the BCCI concerned about the jersey? 

The issue at hand is the jersey of the Indian cricket team. Reports indicate that the BCCI has strictly rejected the proposal where Indian players have to wear jerseys having the name of Pakistan as the host country for the Champions Trophy. The reason cited by the BCCI was due to the continuing rivalry between the two countries and they believe Indian players should not be allowed to promote Pakistan as the host country.

On the other hand, the PCB is seeking support from the ICC in resolving this problem, as this controversy continues to strain relations between the two boards.

Rohit Sharma’s participation in  the captain’s press conference

The other issue under debate is the captain of the Indian cricket team, Rohit Sharma. The BCCI came out to say that Rohit would not attend the customary captains' press conference and photo shoot in Pakistan. Instead, both events are requested by the Indian cricket board to hold them in the UAE, away from the tensions in Pakistan.

As one unnamed source from the BCCI pointed out, the ICC had already agreed to India’s request to have its matches moved out of Pakistan, so these additional issues are relatively small in comparison.

How does the PCB view it all

The Pakistan Cricket Board is frustrated by the situation and is now looking towards the ICC for resolving these issues. One PCB official, speaking anonymously, expressed their disappointment, saying that the BCCI is bringing politics into the sport, which harms the game. They also pointed out that India had refused to travel to Pakistan and that the BCCI’s stance on the jersey and press conference is making the situation even worse.

“We believe that the world governing body (ICC) will not let this happen and will support Pakistan,” the PCB official said.

What are the ICC’s rules regarding the jersey?

According to ICC rules, if India refuses to wear the official tournament logo and the host nation’s name on their jersey, it would be considered a breach of the ICC’s official clothing code. This tradition has been followed in past tournaments. For example, Pakistan wore India’s name when the latter hosted the 2021 T20 World Cup or the 2023 ODI World Cup where India played hosts.

The ICC has reportedly asked the Indian board that the Indian team is obligated to have 'Pakistan' written on the kit as the nation is the original host for the tournament.

"It is the responsibility of every team to add the tournament logo to their jerseys. All teams are obligated to comply with this rule," an ICC official said as per A-Sports.

The apex board also reportedly said that strict action could be taken against the Indian team if the Champions Trophy logo, with the name of the host country Pakistan, isn't found on the players' kit.

The tournament is just around the corner, with the Champions Trophy set to begin on February 19. Matches will be held across four different locations: Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Dubai. The big question now is how the ICC will handle these ongoing issues. Will they find a way to resolve the disagreements between India and Pakistan, or will the tensions affect the tournament?