Champions Trophy: 'PCB to follow BCCI’s path after hybrid model approval; official announcement soon'

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has approached its government for final approval after reports of them accepting the BCCI and ICC’s proposal of a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy 2025 surfaced online. Per the latest developments, the PCB has agreed to share hosting rights of the eight-team tournament with the United Arab Emirates (potentially), with India playing all its matches in Dubai, including the semis and final, should they qualify.

Lahore, one of the three venues for CT 2025, will be kept as a backup should India fail to cruise to the last four or summit clash. A formal announcement will be issued on Saturday (Dec 7) as the ICC board meeting, scheduled for Thursday (Dec 5), got postponed.

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However, the biggest breaking from the report published in Times of India (TOI) is that the PCB will follow BCCI’s path – meaning just like India will not travel to Pakistan (because of security concerns) for the Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan will not tour India for any ICC event at least until 2027, when the ongoing media rights cycle ends.

It further leads to India and Pakistan being confined to playing at neutral venues in all ICC tournaments (for men’s and women’s). Despite India hosting the Women’s World Cup and Asia Cup next year and co-hosting the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with Sri Lanka, Pakistan will not travel to India as neutral venues to stage their matches.

Moreover, several reports also claim that the PCB will not get any additional compensation for sharing the hosting rights, with the ICC also denying increasing their revenue share.

With all parties concerned coming onto the same page after weeks of discussions and denials, the ICC could be working on the final schedule for the Champions Trophy scheduled for the February-March window next year.

Jay Shah’s first day as ICC chair

The former BCCI secretary, Jay Shah, took over as the new chairman of the apex body, attending the broadcaster’s workshop in Dubai (ICC headquarters), and meeting board members, staff and media rights partners.

He addressed the media and extended his heartfelt thanks.

“I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the ICC Board members, the ICC team, and everyone who contributed to making my first day at the ICC Headquarters as Chair a truly memorable experience. This visit provided an invaluable opportunity to connect with my colleagues on the ICC Board, where we discussed the initial roadmap and strategies to shape the future of this incredible sport.

“I was equally delighted to meet with the dedicated ICC team working tirelessly behind the scenes to propel cricket forward. Their passion and shared belief in the sport's immense potential are truly inspiring, as is their enthusiasm for the exciting opportunities ahead.

"Today has been both productive and inspiring. While I am encouraged by what I have seen, I recognise that this is just the beginning. The hard work to elevate cricket to unprecedented heights starts now, and I am confident that together, we will deliver on this vision," Shah said as quoted in the ICC media release.

(With inputs from agencies)