ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Horizon a Hybrid Hosting Model?

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Horizon a Hybrid Hosting Model?

With less than 100 days to the expected start, the future of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy is yet unknown. Should the tournament use a hybrid hosting strategy, distributing events between Pakistan and a yet-to-be-decided overseas venue, the ICC Board is expected to call an emergency meeting on November 26 to handle a critical issue.

Travel Restricted India is the Challenge Ahead

The Indian government’s denial of permission allowing its cricket team to visit Pakistan drives the urgency of this communication. Sent to the ICC via the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), this ruling has seriously disrupted Pakistan’s single-host event planning.

Officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have been adamant about planning the eight-team ODI event right here in Pakistan. Set for February 19 through March 9, 2025, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi were assigned as the main sites. Still, given the running clock and no official ICC release schedule, compromise is most likely unavoidable.

Dejàvu: Returning equipped with a hybrid strategy

This scenario catches the Asia Cup in 2023 and also adopted a hybrid approach after India denied to visit Pakistan. One of the co-hosting countries, Sri Lanka was visited by Pakistan. Now the PCB has to negotiate a similar layout, which gets more difficult considering the precedent set when Pakistan visited India for the ODI World Cup earlier this year.

Actions of PCB and Expectations for PCB The Mohsin Naqvi chairman still longs for the Champions Trophy to remain in Pakistan. Speaking with the media, he said he would be ready to visit the BCCI in order to assist in breaking through the deadlock. Naqvi also tracks ICC responses to inquiries on India’s non-travel policy on the PCB.

Naqvi’s stance captures Pakistan’s more general unhappiness about what it regards as an imbalance in reciprocal hosting policies. After adjusting to India’s denial to travel for the Asia Cup, the PCB hoped for a more cooperative attitude about the Champions Trophy.

Test for ICC and Cricketing World
Comprising three Associate Member delegates, twelve Full Members, and ICC leadership, the Board must decide difficultly. Beyond pragmatic difficulties, the choice greatly shapes cricket’s worldwide reputation, governance, political boundaries-crossing capacity.

Though practically possible, a hybrid model begs moral, ethical, and financial concerns about world events as well as about morality and justice for the host country. Pakistan had hosting rights three years ago; hence, one can consider this arrangement as a compromise of its host image. Still, the model guarantees India’s involvement, which is crucial given its impact on world cricket viewing and income.

One turning point for world cricket comes from the concentrated viewing of the November 26 meeting approach by cricket players and supporters. Apart from deciding the course of the event, the ICC’s ruling will set a standard for next international cricket handling of geopolitical issues.

Normally, the Champions Trophy for cricket represents world unity and excellence. Whether it offers proof of cooperation or another degree of political upheaval in cricket, is yet unknown.