In the midst of the tension between the Pakistan Cricket Board and the International Cricket Council over the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan has agreed to go ahead with the hybrid model. The grand tournament was supposed to be held entirely in Pakistan but has now been shifted to another model.
The Mohsin Naqvi-led board delivered its final response to cricket’s top governing body, the ICC, regarding their offer of yesterday’s meeting. The Pakistani board has agreed to the hybrid model for the Champions Trophy but has kept some conditions. The board has asked for an increase in the revenue from the ICC and a hybrid model for all the ICC events happening in India till 2031.
The ICC has yet to decide, as they would look to overview the demands before nodding to PCB. Concerning the ongoing civil unrest in the two nations, the governing body will consider approval for the tournament.
The PCB demanded that if India cannot progress to the knockouts beyond the group stages, then they would host the knockout games and the finals in Lahore. This fiasco resulted in the Indian government disapproving of their team’s travel to Pakistan.
The PCB also demanded that if India fails to progress beyond the group stages of the competition, Pakistan will be hosting the semi-final and final in Lahore. This all started after the Government of India denied its team permission to visit Pakistan.
As of now, nothing has been made official by the ICC or the PCB. The reports suggest that India might play their matches in the United Arab Emirates. Owing to security concerns, this proposed hybrid model will be the solution to the ongoing crisis between the two nations.
PCB president Mohsin Naqvi assured that the situation in Pakistan remains stable and that all participating teams in the mega-event would receive state-level security. He also mentioned that construction work at the stadiums slated to host the tournament is progressing as planned, adding that the people of Pakistan are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to witness the world’s top teams and players compete in their country.
The ICC is expected to take the final decision on the venue of the 2025 Champions Trophy after the acceptance of the hybrid model by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
