ICC may shift Champions Trophy Final from Lahore to Dubai if India qualifies: Report
The International Cricket Council (ICC) may move the 2025 Champions Trophy final from Lahore to Dubai if India qualifies, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is hesitant to send the team to Pakistan due to ongoing political tensions. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has secured the hosting rights for the tournament, but the BCCI reportedly prefers a hybrid model for the event.
According to a report in the Telegraph UK, the uncertainty over the final venue will persist until days before the summit clash, should India reach the final. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, however, remains confident that the BCCI will eventually agree to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to run from February 19 to March 9, 2025.
"The Indian team should come. I don't see them canceling or postponing their participation, and we are confident we will host all the teams in the Champions Trophy," Naqvi stated.
The PCB has earmarked Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi as the primary venues for the tournament and has submitted a draft schedule to the ICC. Naqvi added that the stadiums would be in optimal condition to host the matches in February and March.
The report highlights a similar precedent set last year when the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) adopted a hybrid model for the Asia Cup, allowing India to play its matches in Sri Lanka instead of Pakistan due to political considerations.
In response to queries about the Indian team’s participation, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla stated that the Indian government will take the final call on whether the team will travel to Pakistan. "For international tours, we always seek the permission of the government. It’s up to the government to decide whether our team should go to any country," Shukla remarked.
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13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
