The International Cricket Council (ICC) is likely to announce the schedule of the ninth edition of the Champions Trophy by this week. The 2025 Champions Trophy, hosted by Pakistan will top eight teams fighting with the tournament set to be played from 19 February to 9 March 2025.
The eight teams who qualified for the tournament are the hosts- Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand & South Africa with the Top seven teams from the 2023 World Cup qualifying for the marquee event. It was in 2017 back then, the last edition of the tournament which was played in England where Pakistan emerged victorious beating India in the Final. Eight years later, the tournament is back.
It was in April 2024, that Pakistan announced the three venues for the tournament Karachi, Lahore & Rawalpindi with India’s matches set to be played in Lahore but India made it clear to disapprove of traveling to Pakistan due to ‘Security Reasons’.
Though November 19 was the date ICC was set to announce the schedule for the Champions Trophy India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the tournament has led to the denial of announcing the schedule. Though ICC had recommended a Hybrid Model in this scenario, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Mohsin Naqvi disagreed to agree on the ‘Hybrid’ Model for the 2025 Champions Trophy. The Indian team may refuse to play in the tournament if not played under the Hybrid model but there could be economic implications if the Indian team doesn’t participate with India being the biggest cricketing market whereas Pakistan wants the Indian Cricket team to travel to Pakistan for the marquee event.
A similar situation was raised during the 2023 Asia Cup which was hosted by Pakistan who insisted on hosting the whole tournament but Later the tournament was played in Hybrid Model with the Indian team playing their matches in Sri Lanka including the Final, as India went on to win the tournament.
ICC is caught in the middle of this dispute & is working to find a solution that satisfies both nations. It is unlike that the entire tournament will be played in Pakistan with the ICC who are looking to resolve the issue whereas UAE, South Africa & Sri Lanka are the other options kept if Pakistan doesn’t agree to the Hybrid model. To maintain the commercial commitments & smooth running of the whole tournament, ICC is under immense pressure to keep both parties happy & find a concrete solution but is likely to address all these concerns when they announce the schedule this weekend for the 2025 Champions trophy. On November 16, ICC announced the trophy tour for the Champions Trophy which began in Pakistan and will travel across the participating nations.
It remains to be seen how the ICC addresses the concern but so far the tournament has faced major challenges.