The ICC Board is scheduled to meet next week to discuss the future of the 2025 Champions Trophy, with a key agenda focused on whether the tournament should follow a hybrid model. Sources have confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the meeting, likely set for November 26, will address the possibility of splitting the tournament between Pakistan—the official host—and a neutral overseas venue, which is yet to be decided.
While multiple sources have confirmed that the meeting has, in fact, taken place, an ICC spokesperson still claimed “no official word” about the meeting has been released. Again, it is unknown how many of the ICC’s 12 Full Member countries have been contacted. PCB officials have also said they had not heard anything about the meeting.
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India refuses To Travel To Pakistan
The emergency meeting by ICC is necessitated after a communication from the Board of Control for Cricket in India that the Indian government had not granted permission to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy. This was just two weeks ago, and this decision has overshadowed Pakistan’s much-heralded plans to host it.
PCB’s Stance On Hosting The Tournament
The PCB was awarded the hosting rights for the 2025 Champions Trophy back in November 2021. Since then, the board has remained steadfast in its desire to host the tournament in Pakistan, across three venues: Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has expressed continued optimism about the tournament proceeding in Pakistan, despite the current deadlock.
Naqvi, who is also the interior minister of Pakistan, expressed hope that the tournament could be held in his country. He offered himself for negotiating with the BCCI to work out the matter; meanwhile, he’s waiting for the ICC to clear up the matter as to why India is reluctant to travel to Pakistan for the tournament.
Precedent Created By The 2023 Asia Cup
This is not the first time the PCB has had to contemplate a hybrid model for a multi-nation tournament that will involve India. Even in the 2023 Asia Cup, India could not visit Pakistan owing to security issues, and that tournament was played across Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The final stage was played in Sri Lanka, and Pakistan played all its group stage on home ground.
The PCB had wanted the Indian team to participate in the 2023 Asia Cup as a stopover to securing India’s presence in the 2025 Champions Trophy. However, with the stalemate at hand, the PCB may now be forced to host the event in a compromised format, where match matches take place in Pakistan and another neutral destination.
