Dubai, UAE
The International Cricket Council (ICC) had an eventful Friday (Nov 29) as they were forced to postpone their meeting without a conclusion with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over the hosting rights of Champions Trophy 2025. However, according to the latest reports, PCB is set to accept the hybrid model for the Champions Trophy or risk losing the entire hosting rights of the tournament. ICC has given PCB until Saturday to decide on their latest stance with them mostly likely to agree on the hybrid model.
Champions Trophy in hybrid model?
According to a report by India Today, ICC has given PCB to mull over the hybrid model in the next 24 hours. In case they don’t accept the hybrid model, Pakistan will risk losing the hosting rights and therefore, expected revenue in multiple million dollars. PCB will be reluctant to miss out on hefty revenue and could be tempted to host the Champions Trophy in a hybrid model.
What happened in today’s meeting?
With the meeting scheduled for 4:00 PM IST, the meeting was attended by members of all parties including the PCB and BCCI with few members attending virtually. However, after a request from two PCB directors, the meeting will now take place on Saturday. 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.
ALSO READ | BGT 2024/25: Rahul should bat at No. 3 if Rohit Sharma wants to open in Adelaide Test, feels Pujara
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.