Dubai, November 28, 2024- With less than three months to the scheduled start of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, the ICC board will meet virtually on Friday to finalize the tournament’s venue, with three options under consideration:
- A hybrid model, where matches involving India are held outside Pakistan while the rest take place in Pakistan.
- Hosting the entire tournament outside Pakistan, with the PCB retaining hosting rights.
- Holding the tournament entirely in Pakistan, excluding India.
The third option is deemed unlikely due to its significant financial and commercial drawbacks. The hybrid model also faces resistance, with the PCB reiterating its rejection and demanding a “reasonable proposal” from the ICC. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi stated that any decision would need government approval, reiterating Pakistan’s position against playing in India without reciprocal arrangements for future tournaments hosted there.
Naqvi dismissed rumors of financial motivations, emphasizing that Pakistan’s interests would guide its decisions, not monetary gains. Renovation efforts at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and Karachi’s National Stadium continue in preparation for the event, with assurances from the PCB that venues will be ready by year-end.
The Champions Trophy, awarded to Pakistan in 2021, was meant to mark the country’s return as an ICC event host after nearly three decades. However, India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan due to government restrictions has cast doubt over its status, further straining cricket relations between the two nations.
The ICC board faces mounting pressure to resolve the impasse and finalize the tournament schedule and venues, as time for logistical preparations runs short.
