Islamabad, December 4: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has accepted the hybrid model for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 to be hosted by them, but has put forward a condition to let them play their games under a hybrid model as well whenever a global International Cricket Council (ICC) tournament is held in India, reported ESPNCricinfo.
Though discussions on the matter are ongoing and the situation stays fluid, as per ESPNCricinfo, PCB put forward their proposal during the weekends in meetings with ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Dubai.
PCB was seeking a long-term agreement that would go beyond the 2025 CT, with provisions for Pakistan to play outside India during ICC tournaments. However, it is yet to be decided if such provisions are for the next three years or till 2031, which will mark the end of the current rights cycle
Till 2031, India is supposed to host three major men’s tournaments, the 2026 T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka in February, the 2029 ICC Champions Trophy in October and the 2031 ICC Cricket World Cup along with Bangladesh from October-November. In women’s cricket, they will host the 50-over women’s World Cup next year.
The next Asia Cup, scheduled for October 2025, is also scheduled to be held in India.
Previously on Sunday, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said that, “We will do what’s best for cricket. It is definitely not a hybrid formula, but if a new formula is formed, it will be an equal one,” Naqvi told reporters, as quoted from a video posted by PCB media on X.
“A one-sided arrangement is no longer acceptable. It cannot be the case that we continue to go to India, but they do not visit Pakistan. Whatever happens must be on the basis of equality,” he added.
Though BCCI stays tight-lipped, there are indications that it would not accept a hybrid model for the tournaments hosted by the team. The ICC Board will reconvene and examine the proposal sent by the PCB before a final decision on the Champions Trophy is made. Both BCCI and PCB will require the final decision to be ratified by their country’s governments. ICC has tentatively pencilled on December 5 as a meeting date, as per ESPNCricinfo.
Options on the table for the tournament are the same like they were during board’s meeting last week, that either it will take place with India playing their games outside Pakistan under a hybrid model, the entire tournament taking place in another country or the tournament going ahead without India.
Due to strained political relations between the two nations, India has not toured Pakistan since 2008, when they participated in the Asia Cup. The two arch-rivals last played a bilateral series in 2012-13 in India, comprising white-ball matches. After that, India and Pakistan have primarily faced each other in ICC tournaments and Asia Cups.
On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal cited BCCI’s statement about “security concerns.” During the press briefing, Jaiswal stated that it is “unlikely” that the Indian team would cross the border to play in Pakistan.
Notably, Pakistan has travelled to India for the 2016 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup. Naqvi stressed that both nations should be treated equally under the same rules.
“This is not acceptable that one-sided things happen. Every time Pakistan cannot play in India, we comply. Both nations must be treated equally under the same rules,” Naqvi asserted.
No statement has been issued on the matter of Champions Trophy by BCCI. PCB also said that it has not received any official explanation regarding India’s inability to travel to Pakistan.
Since the last ICC meeting, a massive change has taken place in ICC, with former BCCI secretary Jay Shah taking over as the ICC Chair on December 1.
There is only 77 days left for the tournament to start and the schedule has not been out yet. The ticketing process for the tournament has not been announced either which would help fans to make travel arrangements for the eight-team event. The tournament will kickstart from February 19 and go on till March 9.–(ANI)
