There are nearly 14 weeks left before the drafted schedule for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, expected to start from the third week of February to the second week of March. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has penned a letter to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) via the International Cricket Council (ICC) to inform their refusal to trip.
The PCB wanted detailed reasons for the security issues for India, which has not tripped to their neighboring cricket since the 2008 Asia Cup, as the relations dropped terribly after the terror attack in Mumbai 16 years ago. The last bilateral series between these two took place in 2012, and the only meeting from then for these two teams happened in ICC tournaments.
But, there needs to be progress, as the broadcasters and stakeholders have been waiting eagerly for the green signal. In that case, three types of budget were designed during a period for the event. The first one was holding the entire tournament in Pakistan, the second was the hybrid model allowing India to play their games in another country, and the third one was to shift the whole competition to a third new country.
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Now, the last option is getting exposed a little. Three countries were addressed to stage the entire Champions Trophy 2025 which are Sri Lanka, Dubai, and South Africa. The Rainbow has been eliminated from the race, given the pitches would be tried, having held the whole SA20 league for the January month.
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The last three to four days have seen an aggressive stance from the PCB, which addresses that after having discussions with their government, they have decided to either stage the entire tournament in their country or take their name out of the competition. However, they are not going to accept the proposal of the hybrid model at any cost. The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the National Stadium in Karachi, and the Rawalpindi Stadium have been renovated, for the smooth process of the event.
It’s impossible to think of an ICC event without India. This means Pakistan can think of accepting a hybrid model, which will ensure their official grant of hosts from the ICC and a huge financial reward. But, the current reports have claimed that the PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the interior minister of the country, is not ready to accept the hybrid model but could entirely pull out from the event.
In that case, the ICC could take the hosting rights from Pakistan and allow India to stage the competition in their country. The broadcaster will be satisfied in that case, as the last year’s ODI World Cup 2023 gained both fame and success.
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Mohsin claimed that because they decided to go to India for the 50-year World Cup 2023, the BCCI should show a return gesture in their favor for the Champions Trophy. But the ball is in the court of ICC, who will have to take a quick step ahead in the next five to seven days.
The draft schedule pointed out that India was given the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore to play all of their games, including the high-voltage one against the Green Brigade on March 01, to allow the least travel. They also gave the BCCI an option to return home after playing each of the games if they failed to feel the security of staying in Pakistan.