New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially announced a hybrid model for the 2025 Champions Trophy, to be hosted by Pakistan, after India stuck to their stand of not travelling across the border to play any of their matches.
But the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has had to accept a compromise formula, as demanded by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after agreeing to the hybrid model.
As per the agreement, India and Pakistan will play their matches in ICC tournaments at neutral venues till during the 2024-2027 cycle, ICC said on Thursday.
Just like India will be playing all their matches in the Pakistan-hosted 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai, Pakistan’s games in tournaments hosted by BCCI — including the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup – will have to be organised at neutral venue/s.
Interestingly, BCCI secretary Jay Shah is the chairman of ICC, having taken over on December 1, 2024.
The last time India travelled to Pakistan to play cricket was in 2005-06. The Pakistan team, though, has played on Indian soil several times – in the 2011 ODI World Cup, 2016 T20 World Cup and 2023 ODI World Cup.
But that seems to be a thing of the past as Pakistan have now changed their stance and put their foot down on travelling to India – at least till the end of 2027 — as long as the BCCI doesn’t send its team to Pakistan.
“India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue, the ICC Board confirmed on Thursday, 19 December,” an ICC statement said.
“This will apply to the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan), set to be played in February and March 2025, as well as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka).”
Three months remain for the 2025 Champions Trophy to get underway, but the ICC has not been able to release the schedule yet.
Now that a consensus has been reached between the ‘warring’ boards BCCI and PCB, ICC is expected to announce the full schedule without further delay.
The 2025 Champions Trophy will be contested among 8 teams – hosts Pakistan, India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. They will be divided into two groups, with the top two from each group advancing to the semifinals.
All group league matches in the tournament, except three featuring India, will be held on Pakistan. One semifinal will definitely be held in Pakistan. The second semifinal and final will also be staged in Pakistan – unless India feature in those matches.
