The International Cricket Council (ICC) is confident that teams will have no reservations travelling to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy despite over a decade-long scepticism about playing in that part of the world.

Pakistan, last week, was awarded the hosting rights of the 2025 Champions Trophy. This will mark the return of a major event to Pakistan after more than two decades.

The last time Pakistan hosted an ICC event was the 1996 World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka.

Since the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, Pakistan has not been hosting many international games.

“The answer is, from what we can see so far, absolutely (teams will travel),” ICC chair Greg Barclay said, replying to PTI’s query during a media roundtable.

“ICC cricket event is coming back to Pakistan after many years. All of it with the exception of what happened in the last few weeks has gone ahead without any issues at all,” added Barclay, who was joined by ICC CEO Geoff Allardice.

Meanwhile, India’s participation in the tournament remains a doubt. Since the 2012 terror attack in India, there has been no bilateral cricket between the two nations.

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur last week said a decision on India’s participation in the Champions Trophy will be taken when the time comes as there are still security issues for international teams to tour the neighbouring country.

Barclay acknowledged that it will be a challenging issue to work through and hoped cricket could bring improvement in the relations between the two neighbours.

“We know that it is a particularly challenging issue to work through. I mean, from my point of view, I can’t control geopolitical forces are working on what we do.

“But I just hope that cricket can be forced to perhaps help improve relationships between them.

“One of the great things that sport can do is to help to bring people in nations together. So, if we can do something and in a small way to contribute to that, then that’s fantastic,” he added.