BCCI’s Rajeev Shukla visits Lahore for Pakistan’s last match as Champions Trophy hosts

Pakistan's final match in the ICC Champions Trophy they co-hosted had a special guest from across the border -- BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared a photograph of Shukla posing with ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice and representatives from other cricket boards at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The BCCI had no visible presence in Pakistan since the Champions Trophy started in Karachi on February 19.

The diplomatic tension between the two countries ensured that the Indian cricket team was kept out of Pakistan. The BCCI's adamant position that it would not send Team India to Pakistan forced the International Cricket Council (ICC) to arrange Dubai as a second venue only for the Men in Blue. Part of the agreement between PCB and ICC was that Pakistan would not send its team to India for future tournaments.

Pakistan had to fly to Dubai to play India, a match that sealed their exit from the competition following a six-wicket defeat. Rohit Sharma's India defeated Australia by four wickets in the first semifinal in Dubai to advance to the final, which will also be played in Dubai on March 9.

The second semifinal between New Zealand and South Africa played on March 5, was Pakistan's last opportunity to host the Champions Trophy. Though the Gaddafi Stadium was scheduled to host the final, the condition the ICC had set before the PCB was that they would miss out on hosting the big match if India reached the final.

ICC Chairman Jay Shah has not visited Pakistan. He skipped the curtain raiser in Lahore and has refrained from making any posts about Pakistan as the host of the event. Shah, the son of India's Home Minister Amit Shah, is a former president of the BCCI.