Thompson said he was confident all involved parties could come to an understanding, pointing to the sides' meeting at the T20 World Cup in the United States.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chiefs are confident a solution can be found if India do not travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, adding that India's participation is necessary to protect the tournament's broadcast rights.

India have not played in Pakistan since 2008 due to the tense relations between the two countries and their travel to the South Asian nation is solely dependent on government clearance.

The ECB has made it clear that the upcoming Champions Trophy cannot proceed without India, given the political tensions surrounding their participation in Pakistan.

Top ECB officials, including chairman Richard Thompson, have suggested that staging the Champions Trophy without powerhouse India is not an option.

Pakistan did travel to India for the 2023 ODI World Cup later in the year and is expecting India to travel for the Champions Trophy next year.

There are "lots of contingencies available" in the event that India do not travel to Pakistan for the tournament but, to "protect broadcast rights", replacing India in the line-up is not one of them