It’s official! Pakistan, India agree to play Champions Trophy under hybrid model
- Hybrid model to apply to Women’s WC, Men’s T20 WC 2026.
- PCB has been awarded hosting rights of Women’s T20 WC.
- No India-Pakistan bilateral series has taken place since 2008.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s 2025 Champions Trophy will be held under a hybrid model, with India set to play their matches at a neutral venue rather than in the host country, Pakistan.
The ICC Board confirmed this on Thursday, saying the hybrid model will apply to the upcoming Champions Trophy, hosted by Pakistan in February and March 2025, as well as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, hosted by India, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Sources told Geo News that the fusion formula would apply to the knock-out matches as well.
The breakthrough comes after a weeks-long deadlock between Pakistan and India as the latter decided not to allow its team to cross the border for the mega event, which Islamabad slammed as politicisation of sports.
The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, and South Africa, alongside hosts Pakistan.
The schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to be confirmed soon, with Pakistan aiming to defend the title they won in 2017.
For more than 10 years, India’s government has prohibited the national cricket team from travelling to Pakistan for bilateral events due to the political tensions between the neighbours.
As a result, no bilateral series has taken place between India and Pakistan since 2008 and the arch-rivals, whose matches attract the most audience, only face each other in international tournaments.
It was also announced by the ICC Board that the PCB has been awarded hosting rights of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where neutral venue arrangements will also apply.
On the other hand, Cricket Australia is set to host one of the senior ICC women’s events during the period 2029 to 2031, it added.
