2025 Champions Trophy could be hosted entirely out of Pakistan as ICC explores options: report

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly mulling over the possibility of moving next year’s Champions Trophy entirely out of Pakistan and hosting it in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or some other country such as Sri Lanka or South Africa.

The Champions Trophy was scheduled to be hosted entirely in Pakistan, the team that had beaten India in the final of the 2017, the last time the tournament was held. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already submitted a draft schedule in which the tournament gets underway on 19 February and the final takes place at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on 9 March.

Entire Champions Trophy outside Pakistan

However, according to a report on India Today, the ICC is currently exploring three options with regards to next year’s Champions Trophy and one of them involves relocating the tournament entirely out of Pakistan.

Given India’s reluctance to travel to Pakistan for more than a decade due to security concerns as well as political tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, the possibility of the entire tournament taking place in Pakistan had appeared doubtful from the very beginning.

Read | 'It is disappointing': PCB slams reports of possible rescheduling of 2025 ICC Champions Trophy

However, with a little over five months left for the ninth edition of the ‘mini World Cup’, the ICC is beginning to consider alternative options a lot more seriously.

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The report mentions UAE, Sri Lanka and South Africa as the likely hosts if the tournament is moved out of Pakistan entirely. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will retain the hosting rights in such a scenario.

The other options for the ICC are hosting the tournament in a ‘Hybrid Model’, as was the last in last year’s Asia Cup, or hosting the tournament entirely in Pakistan as scheduled. If the ICC sticks with the latter and ends up proceeding as planned, it remains to be seen when the Government of India gives the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team the green light to visit Pakistan for the first time since 2008.

Read | BCCI provides update on India's travel plan for Champions Trophy in Pakistan

The 2023 Asia Cup was originally scheduled to be held entirely in Pakistan but ultimately took place in a ‘Hybrid Model’ in which some of the matches took place in Pakistan while a majority of the others, including the final, took place in Sri Lanka.

The ICC is reportedly considering hosting several key fixtures in Dubai, including the final, if it does go down the ‘Hybrid Model’ route.

PCB denies reports of the final being shifted to Dubai

The PCB, meanwhile, continues to insist that there is “absolutely” no truth in the Champions Trophy final being relocated to Dubai and remained confident of the tournament taking place entirely in Pakistan.

“Despite the ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan, the PCB remains steadfast in its stance to ensure a successful and uninterrupted tournament. There is absolutely no truth to the reports suggesting that the Champions Trophy final could be moved outside Pakistan.

“We are working diligently to ensure that all preparations for the tournament are on track, and we are confident that Pakistan will be able to host a memorable event,” a PCB spokesperson told Dunya News.

PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi too remains confident that the tournament will proceed as planned, with matches hosted in Karachi and Rawalpindi besides Lahore, and that India will land in Pakistan for the first time in a decade-and-a-half.

“The Indian team should come. I don’t see them cancel or postpone coming here and we are confident we will host all the teams in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan,” Naqvi had said recently.