 "India and Pakistan have only met in ICC and ACC tournaments since 2012, the year when the two teams last played a bilateral series. Reuters")
There seems to be no end to the uncertainty surrounding the 2025 Champions Trophy, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) set to conduct an emergency meeting on 26 November , less than three months away from the start of the tournament.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have maintained their stance that Team India will not be travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, owing to concerns over safety. The eight-team tournament is scheduled to begin on 19 February and go on till 9 March next year.
What’s on the agenda of ICC’s emergency meeting
According to a report in India Today, senior officials from every cricket board participating in the Champions Trophy, including officials from the BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), will take part in the meeting. The report adds that the ICC will mediate the meeting in a bid to ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page as far as the Champions Trophy is concerned, especially the BCCI and PCB.
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One of the alternate options is that of hosting the tournament in a hybrid model, but the PCB are against the idea of doing so, insisting that they are hopeful of conducting the entire tournament in Pakistan.
Other important points of discussion
Other important points of discussion during the emergency meeting reportedly include that of the venue which could host the India vs Pakistan match as well as determining the groups for the tournament. There is also a chance of hosting the semi-final and final in a neutral venue or even shifting the tournament completely to a neutral venue. Conducting the Champions Trophy without Pakistan is also reportedly on the agenda of the meeting.
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India have not travelled to Pakistan since 2008, when the Men in Blue had toured for the Asia Cup. Pakistan, however, did tour India in 2012 for a limited-overs bilateral series, but ever since, the two Asian rivals have only faced off in ICC and ACC tournaments amid political tensions between the two countries.
Pakistan were to host the 2023 Asia Cup completely, but the tournament was later held in a hybrid model with matches taking place in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. India, who won the tournament, played all their matches in Sri Lanka. Pakistan later travelled to India in October last year to compete in the ODI World Cup, where they missed out on qualifying for the semi-finals after finishing fifth.