Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi sounded confident about the presence of the arch-rivals India in the Champions Trophy scheduled to be held in Pakistan.
Naqvi stated that all countries, along with India, will be in attendance at the mega event.
It is worth noting that the most-anticipated event is scheduled to kick-off on February 19 and final showdown will be held on March 9.
Since 2008, India haven’t stepped in Pakistan for cricket series due to intense political conditions between the neighboring countries.
Despite the fact, Naqvi expressed confidence while discussing Rohit Sharma-led side’s availability.
"The Indian team should come. I don't see them cancel or postpone coming here and we are confident we will host all the teams in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan," he said in Lahore.
"The stadiums will also be ready to host the matches on schedule and any remaining work would be completed after the tournament. In a way, you can say that we are going to have a brand new stadium."
Adding on, the chairman shed light over the preparations for the forthcoming tournament.
In regard to this, Naqvi said: "The stadiums would 'definitely' be in a much better shape to host the ICC tournament."
The PCB chief also reflected on the visit of S Jaishankar, India's Minister of External Affairs, for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting scheduled for October 15-16.
When asked about meeting with the official, Naqvi said: "He is coming but I don't think the details of his meetings have been set."
Continuing with the conversation, he discussed about the replacement of the former white-ball skipper Babar Azam.
"I have told them to take a decision after careful consideration because the captain's position is important,” he revealed.
Previously, Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla stated that India’s participation remains uncertain as the BCCI seeks the government’s approval to visit the country.
Meanwhile, it is to be noted that Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi are chosen as the venues for the grand event in February.
In regard to this, the ICC inspection team expressed satisfaction with the security arrangements and the upgradation of the selected venues.
