Rahul Tiwari
khelja|23-11-2024
The ongoing controversy regarding ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is not over yet. The Indian cricket team has already refused to tour the neighboring country. At the same time, Pakistan also does not want to conduct this tournament on hybrid model, due to which ICC has not announced the schedule yet. In such a situation, the International Cricket Council has now taken a big decision. ICC is going to organize a board meeting soon. Only after this the complete picture regarding ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be clear.
According to media reports, ICC is going to organize a meeting to discuss the Champions Trophy on 26 November. This will be a virtual meeting, in which all the board members including the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be involved. In this meeting, the schedule, format, group stage fixtures and India-Pakistan match of the Champions Trophy will be discussed. Only after this meeting will it be decided whether the tournament will be played on hybrid model or not. If it is played on hybrid model, will Pakistan participate or not?
Earlier it was reported that ICC officials are trying to urge the Pakistan Cricket Board through back-channel talks to work towards a hybrid model for the ICC Champions Trophy next year. That means ICC officials are trying to convince the PCB to agree to conduct this tournament on the hybrid model. Apart from this, ICC is also explaining why the hybrid model is the best way for the tournament and why the ICC tournament cannot be held without the Indian cricket team. In such a situation, the issue of hybrid model can be put before the PCB in this meeting also.
ICC Champions Trophy is to be organized in Pakistan from 19 February to 9 March next year, for which 3 venues have been selected. PCB had released its draft schedule a few months ago in which it was proposed to organize all the matches of Team India in Lahore. In such a situation, if the tournament is held on hybrid model, then a lot of changes will be made in the schedule. It is believed that all the matches of Team India will be held in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Apart from this, semi-final and final matches can also be held outside Pakistan.