The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be held in Pakistan in February or March next year. Planning and preparations are underway but there are doubts over the participation of the Indian team as the tournament is scheduled to be held in Pakistan.
But the International Cricket Council (ICC) is making sure that all bases are covered. As per reports from Cricbuzz, it is learnt that the governing body also has the option to decide if the Indian National Cricket Team does not want to travel to Pakistan for the tournament.
There was no discussion regarding the participation of the Indian team during the ICC Annual General Meeting held in Sri Lanka. The governing body announced a budget of $65 million for the PCB for the 2025 Champions Trophy, but it comes with a major twist.
The approved budget is reportedly known to cover the expenses of hosting some matches of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at venues other than Pakistan. This certainly gives rise to speculations about the possibility of India playing matches outside Pakistan.
The Chief Executive Committee (CEC) note stated that the PCB has signed the host agreement and revealed that they have also agreed to sign the agreement in case some of the matches are held outside Pakistan. It stated:
“PCB has signed the Hosting Agreement and has worked with management to develop a budget for the event which will be submitted to the F&CA for approval. Management has also approved an estimate of the increased cost of hosting the event if some matches need to be played outside Pakistan.”
The PCB Executive Committee note also stated that they have undergone inspections of venues in Pakistan in March 2024 and will work with the PCB to improve the venues. The note added:
“A planning and inspection meeting for the proposed match venues was held in Pakistan in March 2024. Major renovation work is underway at all three venues to improve the facilities.”
According to reports, Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi are the three venues that will host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. It is also learnt that India will travel to Pakistan and play all their matches in Lahore.
As for the budget, around $35 million has been allocated for the competition itself. An additional $20 million has been allocated for participation and prize money. While $10 million has been approved to cover the production costs of televising the contest. 15 matches tournament.
India’s matches are reportedly scheduled as follows: February 20 against Bangladesh, February 23 against New Zealand and March 1 against Pakistan. The tournament will begin on February 19 in Karachi, when hosts Pakistan take on New Zealand. The semi-finals are scheduled for March 5 and 6 in Karachi and Rawalpindi. The final will take place in Lahore on March 9.
