New Delhi
There is not much time left for the Champions Trophy to take place, but its schedule has not been released yet. Pakistan is to host the Champions Trophy 2025, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had refused to travel to Pakistan for this tournament citing security reasons. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is ready to adopt hybrid model for next year’s Champions Trophy, but it has put an important condition before the International Cricket Council (ICC). There was a virtual meeting between the ICC and the member countries on Friday in which the global body of cricket gave an ultimatum to the PCB. The ICC had told the Pakistan Board that it should either be ready to host the Champions Trophy on the lines of hybrid model or be ready to pull out of the tournament.
There is not much time left for the Champions Trophy to take place, but its schedule has not been released yet. Pakistan is to host the Champions Trophy 2025, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had refused to travel to Pakistan for this tournament citing security reasons. After this, there is talk of organizing the Champions Trophy on the lines of hybrid model. However, till now the PCB has been rejecting the hybrid model, but now it is not left with much option.
Hybrid model was also implemented in Asia Cup
If the hybrid model is approved, then some matches including India in the Champions Trophy can be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Earlier, last year the Asia Cup was also organized under the hybrid model in which the title match including the India match was held in Sri Lanka. It is believed that the global body of cricket may soon make an official announcement in this regard.
‘The policy of hybrid model should be implemented by 2031’
PCB sources have said that the PCB is ready to accept the hybrid model for next year’s Champions Trophy in which India will play its matches in Dubai, but its condition is that the ICC should implement this policy for all its tournaments till 2031. . The source also said that the board is also demanding a higher share in the annual revenue cycle to agree on a hybrid model. A PCB source said, in the current situation, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has said that he will accept the hybrid model for the Champions Trophy only if the ICC agrees that in future all ICC tournaments will be organized on the same lines in which Pakistan will play its matches. Will not go to India for.
Pakistan also wants its share in ICC board revenue to be increased from 5.75 per cent in the financial cycle and Naqvi is adamant on this, but has not asked for any additional fee for hosting, the source said. People are saying that after talking to his government, Naqvi has asked for time to tell again. But we do not know whether he went there with the support of the government and whether he had already sought its approval to present his side in the virtual meeting of the ICC Board.
India has to host many tournaments by 2031
The dispute between India and Pakistan regarding the Champions Trophy is not over yet. ICC’s priority is to find a solution as soon as possible. It is not easy to accept the condition that PCB has put before the global body of cricket. There are many such tournaments in future which India has to host. These include hosting the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, Men’s Asia Cup in 2025, Men’s T20 World Cup in collaboration with Sri Lanka in 2026, Champions Trophy 2029 and hosting the 2031 ODI World Cup with Bangladesh.
