Champions trophy 2025 May Shift To South Africa If Pakistan Refuses The Hybrid Model: In the wake of India refusing to play in Pakistan over security issues, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has sought the views of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on a possible hybrid model to stage the Champions Trophy in 2025.
This model, the Asia Cup 2023 being its point of reference, allows India to play its matches in a neutral venue such as the UAE or Sri Lanka while the rest will be in Pakistan. This was designed to enable India to participate without taking away Pakistan’s full host rights.
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PCB’s Reaction: Hosting an Entire Tournament in Pakistan
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) under Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is still unprepared to back the hybrid model. He is pointing out how the league has invested heavily in developing the Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi stadiums to meet the ICC’s requirements. Naqvi, who has supreme faith in Pakistan being able to host the tournament. He holds that relocating matches outside Pakistan defeats the purpose of developing and promoting the game within the region.
Other Options: South Africa as a Fallback Option
If the PCB does not agree to the hybrid model, then ICC will be left with no option but to relocate the whole tournament to South Africa instead. It is, however, worth noting that this option is not fully developed. It is just an alternative so that the tournament may be conducted without hiccups in the absence of agreement. Also, South Africa has hosted ICC events before, and there would be no problem hosting the event there.
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Forthcoming ICC Board Meeting to Determine the Course of Action
Both ICC and PCB have to take into consideration logistical, financial, and diplomatic aspects. The next board meeting of ICC is expected to be decisive in relation to the fate of the tournament. Although Pakistan is keen on fully hosting the Champions Trophy, an agreement may need to be reached to keep India in the competition.
