Light at the end of the tunnel for ICC Champions Trophy impasse
India and Pakistan boards work towards resolution amid hosting standoff
Dubai: The impasse on the hosting of next year’s Champions Trophy is expected to be resolved soon, with an amicable agreement on the eight-team event likely to be reached within the next two days, Gulf News has learnt.
The tournament ran into trouble last month when the Indian cricket board notified the International Cricket Council (ICC) that their team would not travel to Pakistan. This decision followed the Indian government’s denial of permission for the national cricket team to tour, casting doubt on the event’s fate.
However, discussions on the proposed “hybrid” format have been ongoing since late November, with no resolution achieved despite several meetings involving the ICC board, representatives of the Indian and Pakistan boards, and officials from the other 10 member nations.
Reports in Indian media suggest that the entire tournament will be played at a neutral venue. However, ICC is yet to confirm, which is expected to happen over the coming days.
A light at the end of the tunnel
There now seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, and cricket fans around the world are hopeful that the stand-off will end soon. The schedule for the tournament, slated to run from February 19 to March 19, is expected to be announced shortly.
Indian cricketers last visited Pakistan in 2008, when Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team lost a Super 4 match in Karachi.
The hybrid model: A compromise in the making
Earlier, sources told AFP that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has agreed to the hybrid model — but on one condition: that every ICC tournament hosted in India until 2027 follows the same format, with Pakistan refusing to travel to India.
Under the hybrid model, Pakistan will host the group matches, but its high-profile clash with India will be played in Dubai. The final would either be held in Dubai or Lahore, depending on whether India qualifies.
However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has objected to this condition regarding its own tournaments and the proposal to host the final in Lahore if India does not qualify, sources added.
Future ICC events and Indo-Pak rivalry
India is set to co-host the Twenty20 World Cup with Sri Lanka in 2026, the Champions Trophy in 2029, and the 2031 World Cup with Bangladesh.
The Asian neighbours have only faced each other in ICC multinational events in recent years. The last bilateral series took place when Pakistan toured India in 2012-13. India last visited Pakistan for the 2008 Asia Cup, and the two nations have not played a bilateral series across the border for 18 years.
Pakistan was also forced to host last year’s Asia Cup in a hybrid format, with India’s matches and the final being played in Sri Lanka.
- With inputs from agencies