 "Champions Trophy 2025: Final decision on schedule likely at ICC meeting today, says report")
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to reconvene a board meeting on 5 December (Thursday) with the hopes of bringing an end to the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 impasse . While there are reports that the 5 December meeting, the first after Jay Shah became ICC chairperson, could be a courtesy call from the new chief of the global body, a report in the ESPNCricinfo states that 5 December has been “tentatively” picked as the date by ICC for a meeting that will take the final call on Champions Trophy 2025 schedule.
Nonetheless, former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah is expected to chair the meeting instead of ICC deputy chairperson Imran Khwaja who has been handling things so far. There is no confirmation on who will represent BCCI at the meeting but the reports add that the main agenda of the meeting will be resolving the Champions Trophy 2025.
The interesting bit here is that the situation has not changed much since the first meeting on 29 November last week . That meeting lasted for only 15 minutes followed by which the ICC gave Pakistan an “ultimatum” to accept the hybrid model or risk losing the hosting rights for the Champions Trophy 2025 as BCCI has refused to send the Indian cricket team to Pakistan for the competition.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), however, has since pulled off a new trick by proposing a hybrid model with a twist. It has proposed that the Pakistan cricket team will also play its matches in a hybrid model setup, outside India, when BCCI hosts an ICC event. This is termed as a fusion or partnership formula and PCB wants the men’s team to at least skip the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and play its matches in Dubai.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“A one-sided arrangement is no longer acceptable. It cannot be the case that we continue to go to India, but they do not visit Pakistan. Whatever happens, must be on the basis of equality,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had said before the ICC meeting last week.
What can happen in ICC board meeting?
In the 5 December meeting, the ICC board could take a final decision on the Champions Trophy 2025’s schedule after assessing the new model proposed by the PCB. Both BCCI and PCB will then be expected to get the decision ratified by their governments. The final decision on the schedule can be taken through voting among board members.
The chances of the Champions Trophy 2025 going ahead without the Indian cricket team looks impossible considering the financial might of the BCCI who have also reportedly refused to accept the partnership formula proposed by the PCB. This means it’s quite possible, that PCB could be forced to accept a hybrid model where only India play their matches in a neutral venue. Pakistan, however, could secure a good financial deal for themselves.
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