The former Indian cricketer, Harbhajan Singh, voiced his concern over the probable visit of Team India to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy to be held next year, citing extant security problems in the neighboring country. Harbhajan Singh said he has some reservations regarding the visit to Pakistan, referring to the situation being too volatile and thus highly risky.
He also supported the Board of Control for Cricket in India by saying that the board was right in seeking government approval before confirming its participation in the tournament.
He lauded the BCCI for having taken a principled stand on the issue concerning the safety of players, saying, "Why should the Indian team go to Pakistan? There is a safety concern in Pakistan. The situation in Pakistan is such that incidents occur almost every day. I don't think it is safe for the team to go there. The stance of the BCCI is absolutely correct, and nothing comes in front of the safety of our players. I support the stand of the BCCI," Harbhajan told.
On the other hand, Pakistan assured that it will ensure the matches of the Indian team are held in Lahore itself and also get them lodged in the same hotel for the entire period of the tournament. It is the contention of the PCB that keeping the team in one city will facilitate enhanced security arrangements.
Moreover, the PCB has recently announced that it would construct a 5-star hotel adjacent to the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore. This will provide visiting teams a place to stay, instead of making them reside in some far-flung area of the city, because of which practice road closure due to security reasons also happens.
The Indian cricket team refused to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup last year and the matches were shifted to Sri Lanka. India and Pakistan have not played any bilateral series since 2012 and the two teams have only played each other in ICC or ACC events as the Indian government has banned bilateral cricket with Pakistan.
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