He Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) face multiple challenges as the host of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The tournament will be played in February next year.
After the previous event in 2017, the tournament will be held again in Pakistan in 2025. The tournament will feature the top 8 teams and will be played in ODI format. Afghanistan, after their remarkable performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup, has secured qualification for the tournament.
India, Australia, England, Pakistan (host), South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have qualified for the tournament. Teams such as Sri Lanka, the West Indies, Ireland and the Netherlands failed to qualify.
Meanwhile, the PCB faces logistical and security concerns as it prepares for the challenge of hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Last year, the PCB signed the agreement to host the tournament in Dubai.
“PCB Management Committee Chairman Mr. Zaka Ashraf was accompanied by ICC General Counsel Jonathan Hall at the signing of Pakistan’s hosting rights at the ICC Headquarters,” the PCB said in a press release.
Pakistan They were adamant about hosting an ICC event for a long time, but now they seem unprepared to host such a big tournament. Meanwhile, PCB recently signed a huge financial deal to upgrade three important stadiums for the event and address many other unresolved issues.
India unwilling to travel to Pakistan for ICC Champions Trophy 2025, adding to PCB issues
Meanwhile, the biggest problem for PCB and the Pakistan national cricket team lies in India’s unwillingness to travel to Pakistan to play in the event. The Indian government has not allowed the Indian cricket team to travel to Pakistan and participate in any bilateral events since the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Since then, both teams have been playing in ICC tournaments.
Pakistan traveled to India to play the ICC World Cup 2023, but the chances of India traveling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025 look very bleak. Therefore, Pakistan might need to adopt the hybrid model like Asia Cup 2023, which might increase the expenses as assumed.
India are reportedly looking forward to playing the Champions Trophy matches at home. However, there is nothing confirmed from Pakitan and PCB. In such a scenario, the UAE is considered an alternative option.
Event scheduling remains another major concern. The Champions Trophy could be played in February next year, which could clash with prominent T20 leagues around the world. such as Pakistan Super League (PSL), SA20, Bangladesh Premier League and ILT20. The IPL follows closely between March and May. PSL 9 is underway at the moment and the dates of the next season are not finalized yet.
Mohsin Naqvi, the newly elected PCB president, is all set to be part of the meeting with the ICC next week to discuss with the ICC and Indian Cricket Board members how to resolve the looming issues that could constitute a obstacle to Pakistan hosting. the next Champions Trophy. He will hold an open discussion on logistics and security issues with the ICC.
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