The Champions Trophy is creating quite a buzz in the cricket world, with new developments emerging almost daily. The International Cricket Council (ICC) appears to be in a tricky situation, having missed a crucial contractual deadline. According to Cricbuzz, the ICC was supposed to release the tournament’s fixtures and schedule at least 90 days before the event, but this deadline has now passed. But why the delay? India have been pretty clear from day one that they would not entertain going to Pakistan due to geopolitical conflicts.
JioStar in trouble?
The biggest impact of this delay seems to be on the media partners, particularly Disney Star or the merged Jio Star. These broadcasting giants are deeply concerned about their commercial opportunities. The inability to fully plan and market the tournament has created significant challenges for the broadcasters, who are major financial supporters of global cricket.
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PCB’s stupidity?
India have always been persistent for not going to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy, still the hosts have been adamant for not agreeing on an hybrid model. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not sitting quietly. A senior PCB official has reportedly reached out directly to ICC CEO Geoff Allardice to express their frustration with the ongoing uncertainty. This communication comes on top of previous questions the PCB had raised after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that the Indian team would not travel to Pakistan.
Adding another layer of complexity, the broadcasters are reportedly against any proposal to separate India and Pakistan into different groups. The current plan being considered involves a hybrid arrangement where Pakistan might need to play its match against India in a neutral country. This potential solution is expected to be discussed in an upcoming ICC meeting scheduled for November 29.
