Reports: PCB has offered ICC to host the Champions Trophy 2021

As per the latest news, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has offered the International Cricket Council (ICC) to host the Champions Trophy 2021. India were initially interested in hosting the elite 50-over tournament, but the ICC is concerned about the denial of tax exemption from the Indian government for ICC events, which is why the tournament is unlikely to be hosted in India.

Pakistan, having won the Champions Trophy 2017, having also regained trust in security matters from the ICC, can well bag the job to host the event. In the recent past, they have made great strides in international cricket. But not just that, they were also able to revive international cricket in their backyard after years when they recently hosted a World XI in Lahore.

Cricket, arguably the most celebrated game in the terror-torn country, was missing from their local grounds since the morning of March 3, 2009, when a bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team to Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium for their second Test match against Pakistan was targeted by militants.

“The matter came up when the ICC board expressed their concern around the absence of tax exemption from the Indian Government for ICC events held in India, despite ongoing efforts from both the ICC and BCCI to secure the exemption which is a standard practice for major sporting events around the world,” the ICC statement had said after a meeting last week.

Reports also suggest that PCB Chairman Najam Sethi offered the ICC to get tax exemption from the government for the event.

Revival of cricket in Pakistan

As many as seven people were killed, including six policemen, and seven members of the visiting cricket team were injured. Following this, Pakistan have always had to travel to the UAE to play their international fixtures. However, after the World XI tour, Sri Lanka played a T20I in the country and now the PCB is set to host the playoffs of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in Karachi and Lahore which is another major step for the return of international cricket to the country.