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. p>
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. p>
Since 2008, India haven’t stepped in Pakistan for cricket series due to intense political conditions between the neighboring countries. p>
Despite the fact, Naqvi expressed confidence while discussing Rohit Sharma-led side’s availability. p>
"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. p>
"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."p>
Adding on, the chairman shed light over the preparations for the forthcoming tournament. p>
In regard to this, Naqvi said: "The stadiums would 'definitely' be in a much better shape to host the ICC tournament."p>
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.
lass="">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."p>
Continuing with the conversation, he discussed about the replacement of the former white-ball skipper Babar Azam. p>
"I have told them to take a decision after careful consideration because the captain's position is important,” he revealed. p>
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.p>
Meanwhile, it is to be noted that Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi are chosen as the venues for the grand event in February. p>
In regard to this, the ICC inspection team expressed satisfaction with the security arrangements and the upgradation of the selected venues.