The fate of the Champions Trophy 2025 is far from clear, given the argument between India and Pakistan with regard to hosting. BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla hopes that there could be an ‘amicable solution’ to this issue to which both the nations could reach a consensus, and indeed, there has been mutual discussion going on between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), International Cricket Council (ICC), and the BCCI.
PCB’s stand & India’s reluctance
The Pakistan Cricket Board opposed the hybrid model for the tournament thoroughly and insisted on hosting the tournament fully in Pakistan. However, the reluctance of India to travel to Pakistan has been one of the major hurdles. Multiple rounds of discussions have taken place involving the ICC, PCB, and BCCI, considering player safety as a big concern.
Rajeev Shukla On India’s Stance Of Not Going To Pakistan
“We [BCCI] prefer a hybrid model. But as the ICC chairman is already looking after it and is in talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board, we hope for an amicable solution with both nations [India and Pakistan] agreeing to it without any bitterness,” Shukla told PTI.
“The focus is majorly on our players’ safety and hence we cannot send them to Pakistan. We are looking for a middle ground to sort things out,” he concluded.
ICC’s Proposed Solution
As the situation is in progress, it has been reported that the PCB received a proposal from the ICC. The proposal consists of such conditions that Pakistan will not travel to India to play for the group-stage match of 2026 T20 World Cup, and instead, the same match will be played there in Colombo, Sri Lanka, since India along with Sri Lanka are co-hosting the same event. In return, the ICC has reportedly promised Pakistan the rights to host a Women’s ICC tournament after 2027.
Pressure On PCB To Accept Hybrid Model
Even though the PCB has not officially confirmed all details about the proposed solution, there have been rumors that the board is facing a lot of pressure to come up with an agreement on the hybrid model so that everything remains smooth for the Champions Trophy. As of now, discussion still continues, and it’s uncertain how this situation will end and whether both parties will be able to find an amicable solution.
(With PTI Inputs)
