The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) finds itself at a critical juncture as the International Cricket Council is set to take a final call on the hosting rights of Champions Trophy 2025. With only 72 hours to go before the board meeting on November 29, Pakistan’s hard stance seems to become more and more untenable in which it had insisted on holding the event alone on home soil.
The PCB has not budged on its insistence on hosting all matches in Pakistan, while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has declined to send Team India across the border. The BCCI cites reasoning in this context based on the long-standing political tensions and security issues, with the Indian government prohibiting tours to Pakistan since 2008. The IPC has been left seeking alternatives – even a hybrid model to ensure that this event goes through without hitch.
ICC To Decide Champions Trophy Fate
On November 26, the ICC announced its board meeting would take place virtually on Friday, November 29. During this session, the Champions Trophy’s schedule is expected to be finalized, and a conclusive decision will be made regarding the tournament’s venue. The ICC board, known for its authoritative role in international cricket governance, holds the power to determine the fate of this prestigious event.
What Is The Proposed Schedule?
Last year, the PCB released a provisional schedule for the Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held between February 19 and March 9, 2025. It identified Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi as the venues. The authority announced that all Team India matches would take place at Lahore. The proposal had been made keeping in mind the security situation but the BCCI dismissed it without an iota of consideration and expressed the need for an alternate solution.
BCCI Advocates For Hybrid Model
The BCCI came up with a compromise hybrid model wherein India’s matches along with one semifinal and the final would be played in a neutral venue outside Pakistan, possibly in the UAE. That this compromise, according to the BCCI, would remove the cause of security concerns and ensure smooth participation, The ICC conveyed this proposal to the PCB; but Pakistan has so far refused to budge on hosting the entire tournament domestically.
There has been a reported offer of further financial support from the ICC to the PCB if it agrees to the hybrid model as a resolution to the standoff. The solution seems pragmatic as it might protect the cricket tournament’s success despite strained Indo-Pak relations.
With just a few days to go for the meeting on November 29, the countdown has begun for PCB. The final verdict of ICC would not only decide the future course of Champions Trophy.
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