Champions Trophy 2025, ICC Meeting Highlights: Pakistan willing to accept hybrid model on one condition, says report

“We have given our point of view. India has given theirs. The boards are trying to arrive at a win-win solution. We are also trying to ensure that cricket wins in the end,” PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi told reporters at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on the sidelines of the ICC board meeting.

“We will do what’s best for cricket. If we are to come up with a new formula, it has to be on the basis of equality,” Naqvi added.

India will be hosting five ICC and ACC events in the 2024-2031 cycle – the ICC Women’s World Cup and the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup next year followed by the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026, which it will be co-hosting with Sri Lanka.

India are also scheduled to host the 2029 ICC Champions Trophy and co-host the 2031 ICC World Cup with Bangladesh.

Pakistan have insisted they are ready to accept hybrid model for the Champions Trophy if the ICC and the ACC ensure a similar arrangement for the Pakistan team in events taking place in India.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has served an ultimatum to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in order to pressurise the Mohsin Naqvi-led board into hosting the Champions Trophy in hybrid model, telling them that the tournament will go ahead without the current title holders if they remained adamant about hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan.

“Look, no broadcaster will give a penny to an ICC event which does not have India and even Pakistan knows that. The ICC meeting on Saturday will only happen if Mr Mohsin Naqvi agrees with the ‘Hybrid Model’,” an ICC Board source was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

“If not, then ICC Board might have to shift the tournament entirely to a different country (could be UAE too) but it will be held without Pakistan,” the source added.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) General Secretary Mubashshir Usmani in Dubai on Saturday on the sidelines of ICC’s board meeting, the two discussing the possibility of the 2025 Champions Trophy taking place in hybrid model, as per a PTI report.

Click here to read the full report

After Friday’s Board Meeting lasted for less than 15 minutes, no meeting reportedly took place on Saturday. And it seems like we might have to wait for at least a couple of more days for a verdict on the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy to be out, since both BCCI and PCB have sought time.