Champions Trophy 2025 is about to start in February in Pakistan, but the schedule has yet to be decided.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has expressed strong reservations about travelling to Pakistan for the tournament, citing security concerns and lack of permission from the Indian government.
The BCCI has requested that the ICC consider a hybrid model, where India’s matches could be played in a neutral venue, such as the UAE or Sri Lanka. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has insisted that the tournament should be held entirely in Pakistan.
The ICC has been caught in the middle of this dispute, with both Boards presenting their cases. The ICC held a meeting on November 29, 2024, to discuss the matter, but no resolution was reached. The ICC has given the PCB a day to accept the hybrid model or risk losing hosting rights for the tournament.
The ICC is considering various options, including shifting some matches to neutral venues, but a final decision is yet to be made.
According to some reports, PCB has agreed on the hybrid model under some conditions. Under this model, for all the upcoming matches for the next three years, Pakistan and India will play in a neutral venue. Pakistan is hosting the Champion Trophy 2025, and India will be hosting the T20 World Cup 2026.
Yesterday, Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the son of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, has taken charge of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) chairmanship.
In a statement, the cricket watchdog confirmed that Shah had started working as its chairman.
“I am proud to take over the post of ICC chairman and grateful for the support and trust of the ICC directors and member boards. This is an exciting moment for the game. We are preparing for the 2028 Olympics… we are trying to make cricket more interesting for the fans and we are at an important juncture where different formats exist together,” Shah said at the occasion.
“The development of women’s game needs to be accelerated. Cricket has immense potential at the global level and I look forward to working closely with the ICC team as well as member countries to take the game to new heights,” he added.
Earlier, it was reported that outgoing ICC boss Greg Barclay’s term may be extended by one month amid the deadlock between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the BCCI on the issue of Champions Trophy 2025.
However, reports now claim that the issue is expected to be resolved by tomorrow (Monday).
If the ICC and BCCI accept Pakistan’s formula, for the next three years, neither the Indian team will come to Pakistan to play, nor will the Pakistani team go to India for any cricketing event.
The other option being considered is the hybrid model, under which, India’s Champions Trophy matches will be held out of Pakistan. The same has been rejected by PCB.
Apart from this, India will host the Champion Trophy 2029 and ODI World Cup 2031 with Bangladesh.