A British publication accused the International Cricket Council (ICC) of violating the sport’s ethics to help India in the Champions Trophy 2025. No other nation has had such influence over a worldwide sporting event, according to the editorial. The story alleges that India’s efforts are preventing Pakistan from holding the Champions Trophy final in Lahore on schedule.
The article claims that this decision establishes a dangerous precedent in sports, where one nation can choose the final destination for its own purposes. Fans and organizers are in limbo because the final’s location won’t be announced until March 4, five days before the competition.
This circumstance has “no parallel anywhere in the sporting world.”
After hosting the 1996 World Cup final, Lahore is ready to host it again, but local fans are questioning if it will happen in their city. The Champions Trophy’s contentious venue selection is also mentioned in the editorial.
Pakistan was awarded 2025 hosting rights with the proviso that all 15 matches, including the final, will be played there. At the time, India had no provisions for playing abroad.
The other competing nations are frustrated because they don’t know where their knockout matches will be played, whereas India knows where its semi-final and final would be. International cricket events are often rigged in favor of India, the essay notes.
India was able to take an eight-day rest following the 2019 World Cup, but South Africa had to play their third match. The editorial further notes that India’s last group-stage matches were scheduled at the end of the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups to enhance run rate.
This year, India’s T20 World Cup semi-final was played in Guyana regardless of group positions, fuelling claims that ICC scheduling favors India. The other seven teams must consider two countries’ circumstances while selecting their squads, but India will reportedly base its picks on one.
On Thursday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that hosts Pakistan and a neutral venue will host the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025. India and Pakistan will play ICC matches at neutral locations during the 2024-2027 rights cycle to ensure logistical and security viability.
After the Champions Trophy, the ‘fusion formula’ will apply to important ICC competitions including the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka).
If India and Pakistan qualify, the knockout stage matches, including the final, will be played in a neutral venue.
