Jay Shah, the new ICC chairman, made his first decision since assuming office on December 1 and has called a virtual meeting of all board members to end the deadlock on the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament.
The cricketing world is in suspense as the uncertainty surrounding the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 deepens due to the standoff between India and India. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has yet to reach a decision, although it is likely that the next board meeting will address the issue.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is likely to convene a virtual meeting on December 5 to discuss CT 2025. However, the timing and agenda of the ICC Board meeting remain unknown, leaving parties guessing about the future of the multi-nation ODI competition.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah calls a virtual meeting
This upcoming ICC Board meeting is supposed to be a watershed moment, as it will be the first official gathering under Jay Shah’s leadership. Notably, on December 1, the former BCCI secretary formally took the job of ICC Chairman, becoming the board’s youngest chairman.
The meeting’s details remain unknown, as the Dubai office has been closed since his appointment. Jay Shah is due to take over as ICC chairman in the coming days and has arranged a virtual board meeting on December 5, which might serve as an introduction session to plan for the future of international cricket.
As per the Cricbuzz report, all of the attending nations are waiting for developments on the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but there is no definite agenda for this meeting, nor is it certain whether the tournament will be discussed and decided upon.
The article also warned that the summit might not explicitly address the Champions Trophy 2025, putting the tournament’s survival in jeopardy for now.
Will BCCI agree to PCB’s ‘fusion formula’ for ICC Champions Trophy and future ICC events?
Pakistan may be willing to embrace the hybrid format for the Champion Trophy, but only under certain conditions. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has purportedly implemented a new strategy known as the “Partnership Formula” or “Fusion Formula.”
Pakistan proposes a mutual accord with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
According to the PCB’s condition, India must use a similar hybrid hosting model for tournaments over the next three years, which means Pakistan will play matches at neutral venues for events hosted by India, such as the Women’s ODI World Cup in 2025, the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026 (co-hosted with Sri Lanka), and the Men’s Asia Cup in 2025.
However, BCCI has not agreed to the same as of now, given that this also means, in case Pakistan qualifies for the final of any of these events, the summit clash will also have to be moved out of India.
The report mentioned that while the ICC members are sympathetic towards PCB’s stand on the Champions Trophy, they have urged Mohsin Naqvi to accept the hybrid model if they want to host the tournament.
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