Champions Trophy 2025 row: ICC reportedly faces threat of legal action from broadcasters

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is potentially staring at a legal battle if they fail to design a Champions Trophy 2025 schedule that will see both India and Pakistan play against each other. An India vs Pakistan match is the life of all ICC tournaments and it is for this clash that broadcasters are ready to pay millions of dollars, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) refusal to send the Indian cricket team to its neighbouring country and Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) stance that they will not accept a Hybrid Model has, for now, put the 2025 Champions Trophy in an uncertain situation.

Pakistan has also indicated that they will boycott the tournament if the Champions Trophy 2025 is moved out of the country, making matters worse. The broadcasters are not ready to accept a Champions Trophy schedule that does not include an India vs Pakistan match, hence more delay in the announcement of the fixtures is expected. Earlier, it was reported that the schedule could come out by the end of this week , but it seems highly unlikely now, Pakistan news portal Geo News reported.

ICC faces legal threat from broadcsters

It also claimed that the broadcasters are ready to take legal action against the ICC if the Champions Trophy 2025 does not include a match between India and Pakistan. A source also told Geo News that a quick announcement of the schedule can only be expected if all stakeholders change their views. It was reported earlier that ICC is holding backchannel talks with PCB to get them ready for a Hybrid Model.

The Asia Cup 2023 was also played in a Hybrid Model in which India played their matches in Sri Lanka while Pakistan were the original host, but at that time PCB was controlled by president Najam Sethi and things have changed drastically under current chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s tenure.

Jay Shah scheduled to meet ICC officials

A separate news report by Pakistan’s ARY News claimed that BCCI secretary Jay Shah was scheduled to meet ICC officials in Dubai on Thursday. Shah was also set to have a conversation with PCB head Naqvi on the phone and the stakeholders are hoping that this will help in bringing an end to the impasse over the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Remember, Shah is also set to take over as ICC president from 1 December and recently lambasted PCB after they arranged a Champions Trophy tour in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a region illegally occupied by Pakistan in 1947 after the Partition, cities like Skardu, Hunza and Muzaffarabad.

“Jay Shah has objected to that tweet (mentioning PoK cities as part of the trophy tour) and has criticised and condemned PCB’s plan to take the trophy to PoK cities. Additionally, PCB has no business sharing the schedule because it has to come from the ICC. Things need to be done appropriately, via appropriate channels,” a source was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

After Shah raised the objections to ICC, the PCB was forced to drop PoK cities from the trophy tour.