Security threats over foreign nationals attending ICC Champions Trophy 2025 have reportedly put Pakistan’s security forces on high alert from Monday (February 24).
According to an India Today report, the Pakistan Intelligence Bureau has “issued a warning about a potential threat from the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which is reportedly planning to kidnap foreigners attending the Champions Trophy 2025 for ransom”. The report said that the terror outfit is likely to target Chinese and Arab nationals, and for that, they have already started surveillance at ports, airports, offices, and residential areas.
An alert has also been issued by Afghanistan’s intelligence agency (GDI) to possible ISKP attacks, the report claimed.
Another report in CNN-News18 claimed that “an alert has been issued against several terror outfits, including Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), ISIS and other Balochistan-based groups” for the same reason.
Pakistan’s security forces including the rangers and local police sprang into action, deploying protection teams at likely targetted areas. Security cover for the players and the support staff members has been increased in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi – the three cities hosting Champions Trophy matches.
Security threats during cricket tournaments are nothing new in Pakistan. A terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus that had left a prominent Sri Lankan Test cricketer and an ICC Elite Panel umpire injured in 2009 took international cricket away from Pakistan for a decade. During this time, the team played most of its home matches away in the UAE. It was only in 2019 that prominent nations resumed touring Pakistan for bilateral matches.
The Champions Trophy 2025 was the first ICC tournament individually awarded to Pakistan. They last hosted an ICC event way back in 1996 when the ODI World Cup was played in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This time also, certain matches of the Champions Trophy were shifted to Dubai after India refused to travel to Pakistan due to security reasons.
The other six teams—Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan—have at least one match in Pakistan. All matches of Group B, which features Australia, South Africa, England, and Afghanistan, are in Pakistan, but the semi-finalist from this group, who meets India, will have to travel to Dubai.
Meanwhile, former and current cricketers have started criticizing the ICC’s decision to host the Champions Trophy in a hybrid model. They believe this gives India an undue advantage as they are the only team playing all their matches at one venue.
