Pakistan and India agreed to play the Champions Trophy under a hybrid model. The tournament is scheduled to begin in February 2025. The event was in jeopardy because India refused to visit the host country, Pakistan.
India will play its matches at a neutral venue instead of Pakistan. Under the new arrangement, Pakistan will also play its matches at a neutral venue if India hosts the tournament.
The ICC Board confirmed this on Thursday, saying the hybrid model will apply to the upcoming Champions Trophy, hosted by Pakistan in February and March 2025, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, hosted by India, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, hosted by India and Sri Lanka. This formula would even apply to knock-out matches.
The decision came after a months-long dispute over PCB’s refusal to accept the hybrid model and India’s refusal to send its cricket team to Pakistan for the tournament.
The event will feature eight teams- New Zealand, Australia, England, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan (host), Afghanistan and South Africa. The schedule of the event is expected to be confirmed and released soon.
Pakistan had slammed the decision of India not to send its team to Pakistan for the event and called it the politicization of sports. Back in 2023, Pakistan visited India for the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup in anticipation that India would be encouraged to send its team to Pakistan for the Champion’s Trophy.
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Pakistan will be playing in the tournament as defending champions. Pakistan had won the last Champions Trophy held in 2017.
Due to political tensions, the bilateral series between India and Pakistan have been suspended for more than a decade now. Both the teams only play each other in ICC tournaments.
It was also announced by the ICC Board that the PCB has been awarded hosting rights of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where neutral venue arrangements will also apply.