The International Cricket Council seems to have been ‘in hot water’ since they passed the hosting rights to PCB. After having made Pakistan the hosts of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the ICC faced serious opposition from the BCCI as they denied travelling to the neighbouring nation.
Hybrid Model Considered for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025
The PCB, after being asked by the ICC to host the Champions Trophy, had planned to host all matches of the tournament in the nation and had proposed four different venues for the same.
As of now, the BCCI has informed the ICC that, owing to security concerns, the Government of India has not allowed them to travel with their players to Pakistan.
As a result, the International Cricket Council has proposed a new model, where they have opined to shift the matches against India out of Pakistan to the city of Dubai in the UAE. This arrangement looks similar to the previous Asia Cup held in Pakistan, where India featured their games in Sri Lanka.
This proposal has been passed by the ICC to the PCB officials, thus asking for confirmation of the same. Accepting this model will allow Pakistan to retain hosting rights, though some matches will be played outside its borders.
Pakistan’s take on the hybrid model
The PCB is reportedly in continuous consultation with the Pakistani government, as both of them are exploring every potential action and angle.
The PCB is taking this refusal from the Indian board as a severe backlash to the honor of their board and the pride of the nation. The PCB might take BCCI to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport and also refuse to feature against India in ICC events.
Last, since the 1996 World Cup, Pakistan had the first-ever opportunity to hold a major ICC tournament in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Pakistan, who were since 2008 removed from even the co-hosting roles, looks not to accept any hybrid model, especially when in recent times giants like England and Australia have visited the nation.
South Africa is the probable host for the Champions Trophy
Reports from Sports Tak have claimed that Pakistan is quite likely to reject the hybrid model for the Champions Trophy; in such a case, the entire Champions Trophy might be shifted to South Africa.
Last time around, when India refused to travel to Pakistan, as a result, Pakistan was taken off the role of hosts in 2008, and the Champions Trophy was hosted in 2009 by South Africa. The ICC is hence considering the South African nation for hosting the Champions Trophy for another time.
The coming weeks will reveal a lot for the continuation of the Champions Trophy, with the ICC awaiting a response from the PCB over the proposed hybrid model.
