CHENNAI: A day before an all-important ICC board meeting scheduled to be held virtually to finalise the schedule of the 2025 Champions Trophy, the Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday conveyed to the world governing body that the hybrid model is not acceptable to it.
The ICC awarded the tournament to Pakistan, who are reigning champions by virtue of winning the 2017 edition, in 2021. The tournament was originally slated to be held in February-March across Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. However, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) a few weeks ago told the ICC that its team will not travel to Pakistan, delaying the finalisation of the schedule.
"The PCB told the ICC this afternoon that hybrid is a non-starter and they need to present something new at the board meeting on Friday," a source closely monitoring the situation told The New Indian Express. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 4PM IST on Friday. Speaking on the hybrid model, the source said, "PCB will reject the offer. The onus is now on the ICC to come up with a solution acceptable to all including the PCB."
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi also spoke to local media on Wednesday night while inspecting ongoing construction works at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. "It is just not possible that while Pakistan keeps on going and playing in India in all events, the Indian authorities are not willing to send their team to play in Pakistan. We can't have such an unequal situation," Naqvi told reporters. He also reiterated that the outcome of the ICC meeting will be conveyed to the Pakistan government, which in turn will take a final call.
Reports also suggested that the PCB will accept the hybrid model only if the same is adopted for the future ICC events scheduled in India. It means Pakistan will not play their matches in India during such tournaments and the ICC have to allot hosting rights to neutral venues to organise their games.
While members from other boards remained tightlipped on the matter, the BCCI, especially with its secretary Jay Shah taking over as the ICC chair on December 1, will be eager to resolve the issue. Even the official broadcaster has reportedly contacted the ICC over the delay in releasing the schedule. Given the situation, the ICC cannot afford to keep the issue lingering on.
Though Sri Lanka will not be competing in the tournament, postponement of Sri Lanka A's 50-over match series against Pakistan Shaheens a couple of days back due to political unrest in Pakistan has put the PCB on a sticky wicket. The hosts won the first 50-over match played in Islamabad on Monday. The remaining two matches were scheduled in Rawalpindi on Wednesday and Friday but were postponed. The Sri Lanka A team flew out of the country on Wednesday afternoon.
Political tension between the two countries meant the Indian cricket team has not toured Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The Men in Green did travel to India in 2012 for a white-ball series which was coincidentally the last bilateral series between two countries. However, the two teams have played each other in the ICC and Asian Cricket Council events. In fact, Pakistan travelled to India for the 2023 ODI World Cup soon after the Asia Cup, which was played on a hybrid model, and played the hosts in a group encounter in Ahmedabad.