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Ahead of the , the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has accepted to practice hybrid model but has also put a condition to allow them to play the matches under the hybrid model as well whenever a global tournament is held in India, according to ESPNCricinfo. Though the discussions on the matter are ongoing, as per ESPNCricinfo, PCB put forward their proposal during the weekends in meetings with ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Dubai. PCB was seeking a long-term agreement with the provisions of their team playing outside India during the ICC events.
However, it is yet to be decided if such provisions are for the next three years or till 2031, which will mark the end of the current rights cycle. Till 2031, India is supposed to host three men's tournaments including the 2026 T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka, the 2029 Champions Trophy and the 2031 Cricket World Cup with Bangladesh. In women's cricket, India will host the ODI World Cup next year.
The next Asia Cup, scheduled for October 2025, is also scheduled to be held in India. Previously on Sunday, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said, "We will do what's best for cricket. It is definitely not a hybrid formula, but if a new formula is formed, it will be an equal one," Naqvi told reporters, as quoted from a video posted by PCB media on X.
"A one-sided arrangement is no longer acceptable. It cannot be the case that we continue to go to India, but they do not visit Pakistan. Whatever happens must be on the basis of equality," he added.
So far, BCCI has stayed tight-lipped and there are indications that it would not agree to a hybrid model for the tournaments hosted by them. The is yet to think about the proposal sent by the PCB before taking the final call for the Champions Trophy 2025. Both BCCI and PCB will require the final decision to be ratified by their country's governments.
ICC has tentatively pencilled on December 5 as a meeting date, as per ESPNCricinfo. Ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, options stay the same either it will take place with India playing their games outside Pakistan under a hybrid model, the whole tournament will take place in another country or the tournament will go ahead without India. Due to tense political relations between India and Pakistan, the "Men in Blue" have not toured Pakistan since 2008.
The two arch-rivals last played a bilateral series in 2012-13 in India, comprising white-ball matches. After that, India and Pakistan have primarily faced each other in ICC tournaments and Asia Cups. On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal cited BCCI's statement about "security concerns.
" During the press briefing, Jaiswal stated that it is "unlikely" that the Indian team would cross the border to play in Pakistan. Notably, Pakistan has travelled to India for the 2016 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup. Naqvi stressed that both nations should be treated equally under the same rules.
"This is not acceptable that one-sided things happen. Every time Pakistan cannot play in India, we comply. Both nations must be treated equally under the same rules," Naqvi asserted.
No statement has been issued on the matter of Champions Trophy 2025 by BCCI. PCB also said that it has not received any official explanation regarding India's inability to travel to Pakistan. Since the last ICC meeting, a massive change has taken place in ICC, with former BCCI secretary Jay Shah taking over as the ICC Chair on December 1.
There are only 77 days left for the tournament to start and the schedule has not been out yet. The ticketing process for the tournament has not been announced either which would help fans to make travel arrangements for the eight-team event. The tournament will kickstart on February 19 and go on till March 9.
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