The fate of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy is set to be discussed in an emergency meeting of the ICC Board, with less than 100 days left until the expected start of the tournament. The key issue at hand is whether to adopt a hybrid model for the tournament, with matches to be spread between Pakistan, the official host country and an overseas venue yet to be confirmed.
The meeting, scheduled for November 26, 2024, will focus on reaching a consensus on the proposal, which comes after significant political tensions between India and Pakistan. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the hybrid model suggestion follows the recent denial by the Indian government of permission for the Indian cricket team to travel to Pakistan. This decision, announced just two weeks ago, has created a major obstacle for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which was awarded the hosting rights for the tournament in 2021.
Although sources have confirmed the meeting, an ICC spokesperson has not officially announced the details, and it remains unclear which member boards have been notified of the meeting. A PCB official also stated that they have yet to receive formal communication about the meeting.
BCCI’s Stance and the Hybrid Model
The proposed hybrid model would see the Champions Trophy matches played across two locations, with the bulk of the tournament hosted in Pakistan and a second venue outside the country. The idea of a hybrid model is not new, as it was implemented during the 2023 Asia Cup when India refused to travel to Pakistan. The Asia Cup was held in both Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with Pakistan playing its matches in the former and traveling to Sri Lanka for the final.
The ICC’s emergency meeting comes in the wake of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) communication with the ICC, in which they confirmed that the Indian government had refused to grant permission for the national team to travel to Pakistan. The PCB had been firm about hosting the tournament entirely in Pakistan, with games scheduled for Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. With India’s stance on the matter, the future of the tournament has been thrown into uncertainty.
Timing and Schedule Concerns
With the tournament scheduled to begin on February 19, 2025, and run until March 9, 2025, time is running out to finalize the plans. The ICC has yet to release an official schedule for the tournament, and the potential shift to a hybrid model complicates the planning process even further. Despite these challenges, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi expressed optimism about the tournament taking place in Pakistan, maintaining a “positive expectation” regarding the event’s success.
Naqvi, who also serves as the head of Pakistan’s Interior Ministry, emphasized that the PCB was open to dialogue with the BCCI in hopes of resolving the impasse. The PCB has also sought a formal response from the ICC regarding India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, though the situation remains unresolved.
This ongoing deadlock marks the second consecutive year in which Pakistan has been faced with the prospect of hosting a multi-national cricket tournament under a hybrid model due to India’s refusal to travel to the country. Following the Asia Cup, Pakistan participated in the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, hosted in India, with hopes that this gesture would be reciprocated for the Champions Trophy.
The Road Ahead
As the November 26 meeting approaches, the ICC Board will need to find a resolution that accommodates all parties involved, especially with the tournament’s start date fast approaching. With political tensions lingering between the two countries, the Champions Trophy is at a crossroads, and the decision made by the ICC could set a precedent for future multi-nation events in the region.
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