Pakistan’s security agencies are on high alert following intelligence reports of a possible terrorist attack or kidnapping plot targeting foreign guests at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, News18 reported Monday.

According to the report, intercepted communications suggest that Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), ISIS, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Balochistan-based extremist groups may be planning an attack during the tournament.

Authorities have deployed security forces, including Rangers and local police, to ensure the safety of players and officials.

While there is no direct advisory warning foreign teams, the report has amplified growing concerns over Pakistan’s ability to host a global event.

Many social media users have responded to the reports by urging the ICC to relocate the tournament due to security concerns.

Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to send the Indian team to Pakistan, citing safety concerns. This led to a prolonged standoff between the BCCI, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and the International Cricket Council (ICC).

After months of negotiations, a compromise was reached. It was decided that India will play its matches in Dubai while other teams will play in Pakistan.

Security concerns surrounding cricket matches in Pakistan are not new.

In September 2021, New Zealand abandoned its cricket tour of Pakistan over fears of an attack outside Rawalpindi Stadium, Associated Press reported. The alert had come from the New Zealand government.

Pakistan’s then-Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed stated that New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had warned Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan of a potential attack on the team outside the stadium.

New Zealand canceled the tour moments before the start of the one-day international series in Rawalpindi.

In 2009, the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked in Lahore, leading to a decade-long suspension of international matches in Pakistan.

In 2002, a suicide bombing near the Pearl Continental Hotel in Karachi resulted in the cancellation of another New Zealand tour. The Pakistan and New Zealand teams were staying at the hotel at the time.

The attack targeted French naval technicians working on a submarine project in Karachi, killing at least 10 French nationals.

While cricket has often been disrupted because of such terror threat alerts, the primary targets of recent attacks by TTP, ISKP, and Balochistan-based terror groups have been foreigners, including Chinese nationals working on China-backed, state-run projects in Pakistan.