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The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) meeting with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over Champions Trophy hosting rights has been postponed until Saturday (Nov 30) after a request from the board members. With the meeting scheduled for 4:00 PM IST, the meeting was attended by members of all parties including the PCB and BCCI. However, after a request from two PCB directors, the meeting will now take place on Saturday.

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ICC meeting with PCB, BCCI postponed

With less than three months to go before the scheduled start of the tournament, ICC has been sweating to reach an agreement with either PCB or BCCI. The BCCI is firm on not sending its cricket team to Pakistan after the External Affairs Ministry denied permission. On the other hand, PCB is also firm on hosting the tournament entirely in Pakistan and is not agreeing on a hybrid model. While a solution was to be met in Friday’s meeting, a request from PCB directors to host the meeting on Saturday was agreed upon.

"Pakistan believes sports should not be politicised. We are going to host the champions trophy next year in Pakistan. We hope all teams participate. The same position has also been communicated to ICC," a letter from Pakistan's EAM read. 

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India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal commented on the Champions Trophy venue row on Friday, referring to the BCCI’s statement of not sending the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team to Pakistan due to security concerns.

The meeting lasted less than 60 minutes with a possible solution likely to be out on Saturday. As things stand, the ICC still has three options to decide on the outcome of hosting the Champions Trophy. The best possible option is hosting the CT 2025 in a hybrid model with India playing its matches outside Pakistan while the rest of the teams play in the Islamic nation.

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PCB, however, has denied hosting the CT 2025 in the hybrid model. The second option is to postpone the tournament until a solution is met between the PCB and BCCI, meaning a new window will be required to accommodate the tournament.

The final option includes either forfeiting India’s matches or playing the tournament without the two-time champions if they decide to stand with their current stance of not visiting Pakistan. However, this option is unlikely considering India’s brand value in the world of cricket. Broadcasting and ticket revenue could take a serious hit if India is dropped from the event.