The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is determined to hold the Champions Trophy 2025 only in Pakistan and is not considering any mixed hosting options. As a response, the PCB has said it might not participate in the 2026 T20 World Cup, which India and Sri Lanka are planning to host together, if the Indian team does not come to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. A report from Geo News says that the PCB is very clear about hosting the whole tournament in Pakistan and will not agree to any mixed hosting plans during the International Cricket Council’s yearly meeting in Colombo from July 19-22.
The PCB’s firm stance is a reaction to reports in Indian media that suggest the BCCI is hesitant to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the important tournament planned for February to March next year. Due to the tense political situation and safety worries, India has not visited Pakistan for a cricket series since the 2008 Asia Cup.
The BCCI has suggested asking the ICC to use a mixed model for the Champions Trophy, which would let India play their games in a different, neutral country.
The cricket matches between India and Pakistan have faced many problems because of political and safety concerns since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. After that, they stopped playing against each other in their own countries. The last time India played in Pakistan was in 2008 for the Asia Cup. Since then, they have only played against each other in international events or Asia Cup games held in places that are not their own.
A similar situation happened during the Asia Cup 2023. The BCCI, which is in charge of cricket in India, didn’t want to go to Pakistan, so they used a different plan. This let the tournament happen, but Pakistan couldn’t host the important semi-final and final games. This has made the PCB, which is in charge of cricket in Pakistan, more determined to make sure the Champions Trophy 2025 happens in Pakistan.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is in a difficult situation, needing to balance the interests of major cricket countries while keeping the fairness of global tournaments. The ICC’s yearly meeting in Colombo is likely to be very important, as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to strongly disagree with any mixed format for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
