According to several rumours, the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy could be moved out of Pakistan or played in a hybrid format similar to this year’s Asia Cup.
Two years later, Pakistan will host the next edition of the eight-team ODI tournament. However, there are severe concerns that the Indian team will travel to the neighbouring country to compete in the tournament.
The Indian government declined to send a team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup earlier this year, prompting the PCB to hold the tournament in a hybrid format with Sri Lanka as co-hosts.
According to the Indian news agency PTI, PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf and COO Salman Naseer met with the ICC executive board to discuss the tournament’s uncertainties.
“Pakistani officials discussed the probability of the Indian board (BCCI) again refusing to send its team to Pakistan and made it clear that in any given situation, the ICC must avoid taking unilateral decisions on the tournament,” a person familiar with the matter told PTI.
“They also made it clear that in case of India not sending its team and its matches being moved to another country, than the ICC must compensate Pakistan for this,” the source went on to say.
According to speculations, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been named as a potential host if the tournament is relocated from Pakistan.