The ICC (International Cricket Council) officials are trying their best levels to convince the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) to accept the Hybrid model for hosting the Champions Trophy 2025. This would allow Team India to play all its matches in the tournament at a neutral venue.
Earlier, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) clarified that the Indian cricket team won’t travel to Pakistan to participate in the ninth edition of the 50-over tournament pointing out the security issues in the country.
As there are three months left for the ICC’s eight-team tournament to commence, there is still a lack of confirmation about the schedule and venue. Also, it is understood that the tournament cannot take place without India. By doing so, there are huge chances that ICC to witness a huge decline in its revenue.
After the 1996 ODI World Cup, Pakistan was all set to host the mega event across Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. Currently, the Champions Trophy 2025 is tentatively scheduled to take place between February 19 to March 9 in Pakistan. But, the latest reports reveal that possibly the ICC might officially announce the schedule and venue at the end of this week.
Meanwhile, the PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi responded to several questions asked by the reporters in Pakistan. He said the Pakistan Board is patiently waiting for the official announcement from ICC regarding the Champions Trophy and opens up about India’s lack of willingness to travel.
Mohsin Naqvi confident of hosting Champions Trophy in Pakistan
During a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday (November 18) evening, Mohsin Naqvi voiced his confidence in hosting the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Moreover, he expressed opposition to the concept of hosting the tournament on a Hybrid Model basis. Here is what Mohsin said:
“See! We are clear with our approach as said earlier. First and foremost, we prioritize Pakistan’s respect. So, you will soon observe what happens next.
Whatever questions we had we sent to them. As I said earlier, my opinion is sports and politics are different and shouldn’t be combined.
We are waiting for ICC to confirm the tournament’s schedule. I expect a positive outcome about the hosting rights of the Champions Trophy. We will surely achieve our target and the tournament will be held in Pakistan. Except for India, all the other qualified teams for the 50-over tournament are ready to travel to Pakistan without having any issues.
I suggest that if India has any concerns, they should communicate with us and sort out their concerns. Moreover, I feel that there couldn’t be any valid reason for India not traveling to Pakistan.
I hope that all the eight teams will take part in the tournament. Once ICC confirms the schedule, we will proceed with our preparations,” the PCB chairman said.
Is it Important for Pakistan to Host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025?
The PCB has made huge investments in renovating the stadiums in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi and must accomplish its goal to host the Champions Trophy 2025. Suppose, Pakistan hosts the tournament partially, there are chances for the board to face massive losses.
Earlier, the Asia Cup 2023 was planned to be hosted in Pakistan. However, BCCI’s refusal resulted in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) conducting the tournament in a Hybrid model. Consequently, India played all its matches including the finals in Sri Lanka.
Since the 2008 Asia Cup, India hasn’t traveled to Pakistan. The Indian government denied approving BCCI to allow its players to board flights to the neighboring nation pointing out the security issues.
Hosting the tournament in Pakistan and a neutral venue such as the UAE or Sri Lanka can seem to be the most promising solution for smooth progress. At the same time, the Pakistan Board is concerned that not hosting India’s matches could tarnish the country’s reputation due to the ongoing political conflicts.
So, in one way or another PCB find themselves trapped to host the ODI tournament solely in Pakistan.
Overall Verdict:
It wouldn’t be easy for the ICC to work behind the scenes and convince the PCB to accept the Champions Trophy in a hybrid model. A couple of weeks back the PCB warned that the national cricket team could withdraw its participation if the tournament is postponed or shifted out of Pakistan. Various sources revealed that the ICC has been facing huge tensions in finalizing the schedule of the prestigious event. Initially, the announcement was supposed to be made on November 12 and later was pushed back to November 19. Furthermore, the official confirmation of the Champions Trophy schedule can be delayed for a week or more due to unsettled political disputes between the two nations.
