The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked for written assurance from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the Champions Trophy 2025. The PCB will only accept hosting the 8-team tournament in a hybrid model if the ICC assures that the Pakistan cricket team won’t play any of their future ICC tournament matches against the Indian cricket team in India but at a neutral venue.
PCB’s demand to ICC
“Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wants a written assurance from the world body (ICC) regarding a hybrid model for the future international events to be hosted by India,” sources told IANS on December 9.
For the unaware, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had convened with the Indian government regarding Team India travelling to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy. After it was deemed a safety risk, on November 12, BCCI told the PCB and ICC that Team India wouldn’t come to Pakistan.
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Champions Trophy 2025 scheduled out by December 11?
The PCB remained adamant, but the ICC warned them that they’ll go ahead with the tournament with or without Pakistan. So, they came up with the idea of a ‘partnership or fusion’ model. By which, the India vs Pakistan match in ICC events in the next years will be played in Dubai. But the BCCI refused it. The PCB then accepted the hybrid but put forth a few demands, one of which was that they wouldn’t travel to India to face them in ICC events either.
These are the reasons why the schedule for the Champions Trophy 2025, which was to be announced by November 11, 100 days before the tournament starts (February 19), hasn’t been announced yet. That is why, despite the ICC meeting on November 29, December 5, and December 7, nothing has come of it. But it’ll be out soon. “Decision on Champions Trophy most likely by Wednesday (December 11),” the source added.
