ICC Board to Meet Friday to Finalize Champions Trophy 2025 Schedule
New Delhi, Nov 26: The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board is scheduled to meet online this Friday, November 29, to finalize the schedule for the 2025 Champions Trophy, sources informed IANS on Tuesday. The delay in confirming the schedule has been attributed to ongoing tensions, as India has refused to travel to Pakistan for the tournament. As a result, the ICC and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have yet to settle on the final dates and format for the event.
The PCB, which holds the hosting rights for the 2025 Champions Trophy, is determined to host the tournament in Pakistan, despite India's refusal to participate on Pakistani soil. The current proposal being considered is a 'hybrid model,' which could follow the same structure as last year's Asia Cup, when India played its matches in Colombo due to similar travel issues.
Earlier this month, the PCB sought clarification from the ICC regarding the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)'s stance. They requested an official written response detailing when the BCCI communicated its decision to the global cricket body. Amid the uncertainty, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi expressed his confidence in hosting the Champions Trophy, the first ICC event in Pakistan since 1996.
“We’ve sent our questions to the ICC and are still awaiting a response,” Naqvi said during a press conference in Lahore. "I still believe that sports and politics should remain separate, and I remain optimistic about the Champions Trophy."
The PCB has also had to adjust the route for the tournament's trophy tour, after the BCCI raised concerns over the inclusion of cities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the original plan. Although the cities were removed from the itinerary, the tour has not been canceled. The Champions Trophy Trophy Tour is now scheduled to visit Pakistan in January after completing visits to the other seven participating countries.
0 Comments