India humiliate Pakistan again, ICC to propose THIS plan for Champions Trophy 2025
The International Cricket Council (ICC) are finally getting ready to take a big decision over the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is scheduled to take place in Pakistan next year. Hosts Pakistan are bracing themselves for more humiliation at the hands of arch-rivals and neighbours India with ICC ready to put their foot down on a ‘hybrid’ model for the tournament.
The violence in Islamabad due to political protests and Sri Lanka ‘A’ team cancelling the remainder of their tour has completely put Pakistan on the backfoot on Tuesday. The all-powerful board of the ICC will meet virtually on Friday to finalise the much-delayed schedule of the Champions Trophy to be held in February-March next year.
The cause of the delay has been India’s refusal to play in Pakistan considering the tense relations between the two countries. India has not toured Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
SRI LANKA SUSPENDS PAKISTAN TOUR
Sri Lanka A vs Pakistan A, initially scheduled in Rawalpindi, got shifted to Islamabad and now completely suspended due to security reasons.
ICC must take notice and shift the entire Champions Trophy out of Pakistan for everyone’s safety. pic.twitter.com/uAdrQuirJE
— Johns (@JohnyBravo183) November 26, 2024
According to Cricbuzz website, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi is in minority in the ICC board and most of the executive committee members are in favour of organising the Champions Trophy with a ‘hybrid’ model.
The BCCI wants the tournament to be played in a hybrid model with India games scheduled in a third country, preferably UAE, something that their Pakistani counterpart has not agreed to so far.
“The ICC board will meet on November 29 to discuss the Champions Trophy schedule,” an ICC spokesperson was quoted as saying by PTI news agency.
“The general thinking here is that the PCB and the Pakistan government may eventually relent since they will be explained that a Champions Trophy without India will be untenable not only for the ICC but to the entire cricket ecosystem. It could be a loss-loss situation for the PCB as it will lose millions of dollars if the tournament is taken away from the country,” the Cricbuzz report added.
The crucial virtual meeting takes places two days before BCCI secretary Jay Shah takes over as ICC chairman on December 1. He and other board members would be keen to resolve the matter before the new regime takes over.
With the deadlock over the schedule and venue yet to be broken, questions have been raised against the current dispensation of the ICC including chair Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice over why it did not resolve the issue earlier and left it for the 11th hour.
With the Indian government firmly sticking to the status quo, Champions Trophy in a hybrid model with India games outside Pakistan is the most likely option. Sources said that PCB will be offered financial incentives, over and above the hosting fees of $70 million, to agree to the hybrid model.
A similar model was followed last year when India played their Asia Cup matches in Sri Lanka while four group games were hosted by Pakistan. The PCB has spent millions of dollars to renovate stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi for what will be its first ICC event since it co-hosted the 1996 World Cup.
PCB have also threatened that it won’t send its national teams to India for future ICC events if the latter doesn’t cross the border for Champions Trophy. Pakistan may threaten to pull out of ICC Women’s World Cup and men’s Asia Cup if India refuse to tour Pakistan.