The ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set for Pakistan in February-March 2025, will be discussed at a board meeting on November 29 by the International Cricket Council (ICC). An ICC representative confirmed that all board members had received the agenda for the online meeting.
Sources say the summit will examine the tournament’s future after India refused to tour Pakistan. The ICC board will consider a hybrid approach, relocation, or postponing the tournament.
A hybrid model is the ICC board’s preferred solution, sources said. This strategy has been opposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The ICC Board will decide after hearing member input at the meeting.
The board has 12 full, three associate, and one independent director. On November 20, it was announced that the tournament’s schedule could be delayed, prolonging the mystery.
The PCB asked the ICC to give a copy of India’s formal answer to its rejection to attend the mega-event, while the ICC wanted a written explanation from the BCCI.
Besides the PCB’s attitude, broadcasters and commercial partners’ inability to accept a schedule without a Pakistan-India match, which draws large crowds and generates income, has hurt the ICC.
They threatened legal action if the tournament did not feature a match between the archrivals. If stakeholders are flexible, the schedule can be announced in a few days, sources added.
They said stakeholders want a consensus-based event. The world cricketing organisation is trying to find a solution before BCCI Secretary Jay Shah becomes ICC Chairman on December 1.
In recent years, the ICC has ensured that India plays Pakistan at least once in each global cricketing tournament, assuring a large cash stream from this game. With 173 million Indian TV viewers and 225 million digital viewers, the 2023 World Cup encounter between archrivals was unparalleled.
Prime events featuring Pakistan and India are crucial to the ICC, which won $3.2 billion in TV rights for 2024-2027 and expects $1 billion more in other earnings. Indian international matches in Pakistan have not occurred since 2008. The BCCI did not send a side to Pakistan for the Asia Cup last year, hence subsequent stages were played in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan visited India shortly after for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
