There will be no official ICC captain's meet or photoshoot ahead of Champions Trophy 2025. The event has traditionally taken place in the host country of an ICC tournament, but it will not be part of the build-up to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, the first ICC tournament in the country since 1996.
There was no opening ceremony in the build-up to the most recent Champions Trophy - in the United Kingdom in 2017 - though there was a captain's event and official photoshoot. The PCB said neither the ICC nor the cricket board had ever announced an opening ceremony this time. However, the PCB will host an event in Lahore on February 16, three days out from the first game, to mark the start of the tournament. A PCB official told ESPNcricinfo the event would be "supported by the ICC" and expected ICC officials present in Lahore at the time would be in attendance.
The PCB said the absence of a captain's press conference and photoshoot was down to logistical concerns. With the tournament being held across four different venues in two countries, and with scheduling clashes for several sides in the build-up to the tournament, the PCB said teams were slated to arrive in Pakistan for the Champions Trophy close to the start of the tournament. Australia do not get to Pakistan until February 19, the day of the opening match.
Incidentally, the ICC did not organise a captains event ahead of the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup, which was played across the Caribbean and the USA. With teams playing warm-up matches in several countries, the ICC instead opted to do the official launch via a lighting projection show that featured all 20 captains beamed onto New York City's Rockefeller Center building.
The development resolves the question of India captain Rohit Sharma's potential presence in Pakistan. Had there been a formal captain's press conference or photoshoot, it would have required Rohit to be present.
Until last week, the BCCI told ESPNcricinfo the issue of Rohit travelling to Pakistan had "not yet been discussed" and was "not on the agenda". As the Indian government had not given permission for their cricket team to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, it was unclear whether they would have done so for Rohit for any captains' event.
Because of the political tension between the two countries, India and Pakistan have played no bilateral series since 2012, although they continue to meet at ICC tournaments. While the Pakistan men's team has travelled to India for two ICC tournaments in this period, India have not played any international cricket in Pakistan since 2008. That context has meant the Champions Trophy had to implement a hybrid model, with Dubai to host India's games, including the final if they make it. That model will also be in use for ICC events in India until 2027, allowing Pakistan to play their matches outside India.
As an illustration of the two countries' fraught relationship, the BCCI's new secretary Devajit Saikia had to publicly clarify last week that India would follow "every uniform-related ICC rule", in response to unconfirmed reports and speculation that the BCCI had objected to the name of the official host, Pakistan, on their jersey.
The PCB, meanwhile, will also host ceremonies to mark the completion of refurbished stadiums in Lahore and Karachi. The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, which is currently undergoing a revamp, is set to be inaugurated by Pakistan prime minister Shahbaz Sharif on February 7, the day before the venue hosts its first international game - the opening ODI of a tri-series featuring South Africa and New Zealand - since its reconstruction. The National Stadium in Karachi will be inaugurated by Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari on February 11.