The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to persuade the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to send their team to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy, which is planned to take place in the first part of next year. A PCB source mentioned that, although the budget for the Champions Trophy was approved during the recent ICC meetings in Colombo, the schedule and format of the event were not discussed. “The PCB has completed its responsibilities as the host of the Champions Trophy. It has sent the proposed schedule and format for the event and also provided the budget for it,” said an insider from the PCB.
“It is now the ICC’s responsibility to decide how quickly they will share, discuss, and finalize the schedule for the Champions Trophy. The PCB, in its draft schedule, has proposed to host all of India’s matches in Lahore, including a semi-final (if India qualifies) and the final,” he added.
Another person mentioned that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already sent all the necessary information to the International Cricket Council (ICC) as potential hosts for the Champions Trophy.
“The PCB has provided the ICC with written details about the tax arrangements, chosen venues, and approval from the government for the Indian team to participate in the big event in Pakistan,” he said.
The PCB first expressed interest in hosting the event in 2021 when Ehsan Mani was the Chairman of the board.
In 2022, the International Cricket Council (ICC) chose Pakistan to host an event. Later, when Ramiz Raja was in charge of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), they sent all the necessary papers to the ICC to finalize the hosting agreement.
A person with knowledge of the situation said that Mohsin Naqvi, the current head of the PCB, didn’t have any official talks with Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), or other BCCI members during the ICC meetings. However, the interactions between Naqvi and Shah were friendly.
Now, the PCB is waiting for the ICC to decide and announce the event schedule and to confirm if the Indian team will come to Pakistan.
ICC hinting at a hybrid model?
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has included extra funds in its event budget to handle scenarios where the Indian team needs to play matches outside of Pakistan.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has consistently stated that deciding whether to play cricket in Pakistan is entirely up to the government. This was evident in the 2023 ODI Asia Cup, organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), where India played all its matches in Sri Lanka using a ‘Hybrid Model’.
The preliminary schedule shows that all of India’s games, including potential semi-finals and the final, are planned to be held in Lahore. The highly anticipated India vs. Pakistan match is set for March 1.
