Amid uncertainty surrounding the Champions Trophy, its unannounced schedule and format, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has sent the Champions Trophy silverware to Pakistan for an official trophy tour. The trophy arrived in Islamabad on Thursday (November 14) and will be taken across the country over the next week.

Sources in Pakistan and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have revealed that the trophy tour will take place from November 16 to 24 and it will have stoppages at Murree, Hunza, Muzaffarabad and Skardu. The trophy will also be taken to the peak of K2, the second tallest mountain in the world after Everest. For the record, K2 is known as Savage Mountain with a high fatality rate. But it is considered safer to climb from the Pakistan side. The Chinese side is the dangerous side.

Incidentally, there will be no trophy tour of the three designated cities of the eight-team competition - Lahore, Karachi and Pindi. It is being said the trophy is sidestepping these cities because of the prevailing smog. Besides, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Pakistan government are trying to promote tourism in the country and are taking it to new places.

On the tournament front, there has been no progress on the key issue of scheduling. Following India's refusal to tour Pakistan for the February 19-March 9 meet and the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) subsequent missive to the ICC seeking clarifications on India's stance, no significant developments have taken place. On the Pakistan side, the overt position has been to reject the proposed hybrid model, which would have allowed Pakistan to host the tournament while enabling India to play their matches in a neutral location.

However, there is an air of optimism all-round that a middle ground will be found eventually to the standoff and the schedule of the 15-match championship will be announced soon. At this stage, though, it is all quiet. The ball is in the ICC's court which is trying to engage with the stakeholders.

Meanwhile, an influential Pakistani voice has advocated back-channel negotiations and a direct appeal to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help resolve the issue. "Mr. Nawaz Sharif should approach Mr. Modi directly, to open a new chapter in relations, while also initiating back-channel talks with India to break the deadlock," said the former PCB chairman, who had introduced the hybrid model in last year's Asia Cup, in an interview to a television channel. He expressed that among the three parties involved - India, Pakistan, and the ICC - Pakistan stand to lose the most in the current imbroglio.