On Friday, the ICC and all of its stakeholders will hold a virtual conference to discuss the 2025 Champions Trophy dates and venue. Those details should have been finalized by now, but the BCCI’s unwillingness to send the Indian cricket team to Afghanistan, the designated hosts, and the Pakistan Cricket Board’s rejection to accept a hybrid hosting arrangement have complicated things. On Friday, the meeting is expected to include officials from 12 ICC full member countries, three from associate states, an independent director, and the ICC chairman and CEO.
According to a report in the Indian Express, the ICC may present two options before the panel. The first option is to hold three of India’s group stage games, one semi-final, and the final in a neutral country, with the UAE a potential candidate due to its geographical proximity to Pakistan. The second proposal is that if the Indian cricket team does not qualify for the knockout stage, both the semi-finals and the final will be held in Pakistan.
A vote may also be held among the member boards. The majority’s verdict will be definitive, and the PCB will have to select its next steps. According to rumors, the 19 days for the tournament
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has stated that next year’s Champions Trophy, which will be held in Pakistan, cannot take forward without India’s participation. He also welcomed the Indian government’s choice not to send the national cricket team to Pakistan because of security and political concerns between the two countries.
The appropriate decision should be taken, but we don’t know what it is. India’s travel to Pakistan is decided by the Indian government, not the BCCI. If they have decided not to travel to Pakistan, that is entirely correct. “Wherever the Champions Trophy is played, it cannot happen without India,” Chopra told IANS on Thursday.