Karachi: Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Khalid Mahmood believes that India will not travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy early next year. Mahmood, a retired senior bureaucrat, said, “There is very little chance that they will agree to play in Pakistan.” He said that if India does not tour Pakistan, it will be a loss deal for the PCB and the ICC. Mahmood said, “India is the richest cricket board and has a lot of influence. If they do not send their team to Pakistan, then I think countries like Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will also follow their path.”

Mahmood has visited India twice in 1989 and 1999 as Pakistan's junior and senior team manager. He said, “If India does not tour Pakistan, the revenue of the Champions Trophy will be affected. The cost of organizing it will increase and the profit will decrease.” Mahmood said that the PCB should follow its policy of not mixing sports and politics.

He said, “At this stage you can only put your point strongly and try to convince other boards to side with you. India has a lot of influence in the ICC, so adopting a tit for tat strategy will not benefit Pakistan.” He said, “When the BCCI says that it cannot send its team and will play its matches outside Pakistan, it reduces the purpose of hosting an ICC event for Pakistan.