ICC to hold another meeting to resolve Champions Trophy stalemate

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly proposed a new formula to resolve the ongoing impasse surrounding the Champions Trophy 2025.

The prestigious eight-team tournament is scheduled to take place in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9. However, India’s refusal to send its team to Pakistan and its insistence on a hybrid model—where India's matches would be played at a neutral venue—has cast a shadow over the event's fate.

Initially, Pakistan opposed the hybrid model, advocating for the entire tournament to be held within its borders. A recent ICC meeting on last Friday aimed at resolving the disagreement ended without any resolution, leaving the tournament's future uncertain.

To address this, the PCB has now softened its stance and suggested that the International Cricket Council (ICC) secure a written commitment from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to adopt a hybrid model for future ICC tournaments hosted by India. These events include the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup, the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, the 2029 Champions Trophy, and the 2031 Men's ODI World Cup.

Despite this compromise, the BCCI is reportedly hesitant, citing the unpredictable nature of bilateral relations between India and Pakistan as a reason for not providing such guarantees. This reluctance has created a fresh deadlock, with the PCB asserting that if India continues to avoid touring Pakistan, then Pakistan should also have the right to avoid traveling to India for ICC events.

The PCB’s demand for a reciprocal hybrid model—ensuring that Pakistani teams play their matches at neutral venues when India hosts ICC tournaments—has been met with firm resistance from the BCCI. This proposed formula, if agreed upon, would reportedly apply for the next three years, beginning with the Champions Trophy 2025.

Another ICC meeting

The ICC now faces the complex challenge of finding a solution that satisfies all stakeholders while navigating logistical and political hurdles. The world’s governing body is now likely to hold another emergency board meeting on December 5 to solve the impasse.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi had emphasized Pakistan's firm stance on the issue, categorically rejecting the hybrid model as the solution for the Champions Trophy 2025.

However, speaking to reporters in Dubai on Saturday, Naqvi indicated a new formula can be devised, which is equitable and not one-sided.

"We will do what's best for cricket. It's definitely not a hybrid formula, but if a new formula is formed, it will be an equal one. We will not allow one-sided decisions," he asserted.

UAE as neutral venue?

Amid the ongoing stalemate, the Emirates Cricket Board has reportedly stepped in as a mediator, offering to host India-Pakistan matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

UAE Ambassador to India, Abdulnasser Alshaali, expressed readiness to accommodate such high-profile games, reaffirming the country's reputation as a neutral venue for international cricket.

"Why wouldn’t we? We have always hosted such games. We will continue to host such games. The UAE is open for business and open for sports," Alshaali said in an interview with ANI News.

India and Pakistan’s cricketing ties have been strained for over a decade due to political tensions. India last toured Pakistan in 2008 during the Asia Cup, while Pakistan's most recent bilateral series in India was in 2012-13, featuring white-ball games. Since then, the two teams have only faced off in ICC tournaments and Asia Cups.