Dubai, November 26, 2024 – The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 remains mired in uncertainty as the impasse between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and the International Cricket Council (ICC) continues. The tournament’s schedule has yet to be finalized due to the BCCI’s refusal to send the Indian team to Pakistan and the PCB’s resistance to hosting the event under a hybrid model.
Reports from Indian media suggest that the ICC has proposed additional financial incentives to the PCB to break the deadlock. According to these reports, the ICC is offering financial compensation to convince the PCB to accept a hybrid model, allowing India to play its matches in the UAE, with the final slated to take place in Dubai if India qualifies.
An ICC virtual meeting is reportedly scheduled for Tuesday to address the ongoing disagreements. Sources indicate that the PCB is standing firm, arguing that if India refuses to play in Pakistan, it is their issue, as the other six participating nations have no objections to playing in the country. The PCB has also proposed that, under any hybrid arrangement, the group-stage match between Pakistan and India, as well as the final, should take place in Lahore.
However, the BCCI has insisted that all Indian matches, including the one against Pakistan, along with the semi-final and final, if India qualifies, must be held in Dubai. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has refrained from commenting on the delay in announcing the Champions Trophy schedule. With tensions still unresolved, the cricketing world awaits the outcome of ICC’s efforts to mediate a solution.
