Pakistan's foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said on Thursday that there was no back channel diplomacy with India on the Champions Trophy to be held next year in February-March. Responding to a question regarding the cricket championship, she said, "There is no back channel with India to specifically discuss the Champions Trophy and bilateral Cricket between Pakistan and India".
She further added that, for the Champions Trophy and the addition of the other teams, any other information about them would be asked from the PCB since these are affairs that are dealt by them. Baloch also said that sports events should not be mixed up with politics, referring again to the statement "Pakistan has always said that sports should not be politicized.".
When asked if Pakistan intends to hold the event even if India intends to persist in its decision not to send its team, Baloch said that the PCB is communicating with the ICC on how to make all those arrangements. She added, "We would refer you to the Pakistan Cricket Board for any comments or clarification with regards to this issue.".
For one, the BCCI has already communicated its decision of not traveling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy that the ICC was prompted to ask the PCB regarding the possibility of it hosting the tournament in a hybrid model. This model was used in the Asia Cup last year, where Indian matches were conducted in Sri Lanka while others were played in Pakistan.
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