ICC Board to Meet Over Hybrid Model for 2025 Champions Trophy Amid India-Pakistan Travel Deadlock

The fate of the 2025 Champions Trophy is set to be discussed in an emergency meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Board, scheduled for November 26, 2024. The single-point agenda for the meeting is to reach a consensus on whether the tournament should adopt a hybrid model, with matches being split between Pakistan—where the event is supposed to be held—and a second overseas venue that has yet to be determined. 

The meeting comes in the wake of significant complications surrounding the tournament’s logistics, particularly related to India's participation in the event. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed the ICC that the Indian government has refused to grant permission for the Indian cricket team to travel to Pakistan. The Indian government’s decision, communicated just two weeks ago, has left the ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) grappling with a host of potential solutions to salvage the tournament. 

The Champions Trophy, a prestigious ODI tournament, was awarded to Pakistan in November 2021, and the PCB has been adamant about hosting the entire event within its borders. The tournament was originally scheduled to run from February 19 to March 9, 2025, at three venues: Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. However, with India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan, the situation has become more complicated, and a hybrid model—where some matches would be played in Pakistan and others at a neutral venue—has emerged as a potential compromise.

The Hybrid Model: A Compromise for the 2025 Champions Trophy

The concept of a hybrid model, where part of the tournament is played in the host country and part at a neutral venue, has been discussed before in the context of international cricket, most notably during the 2023 Asia Cup. In that case, the tournament was hosted by Pakistan but played in two countries—Pakistan and Sri Lanka—because the Indian team was not granted permission by its government to travel to Pakistan. The PCB had hoped for a similar arrangement for the Champions Trophy but is now facing resistance from both the BCCI and, by extension, the Indian government.

The proposed hybrid model for the Champions Trophy is not yet confirmed, and the upcoming ICC Board meeting will be critical in deciding whether this compromise will be adopted for the 2025 tournament. However, the situation remains fraught with political and logistical challenges, and the BCCI’s decision to deny India’s participation in Pakistan has created a significant roadblock in the process.

While some officials with knowledge of the ICC’s discussions confirmed the planned meeting on November 26, an ICC spokesperson declined to comment on the official status of the meeting. As of now, it is unclear how many of the ICC’s member boards have been informed of the meeting, and whether the PCB has been officially notified. A PCB official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, also stated that they had not yet received any formal communication regarding the emergency meeting.

Tensions Around India's Travel to Pakistan

The issue of India’s participation in the Champions Trophy has been the subject of tense discussions for several months. The Indian government’s refusal to grant travel clearance for the Indian team to visit Pakistan has set off a chain reaction of events. Although India and Pakistan have had a long-standing rivalry in international cricket, this is the first time in recent years that such a travel ban has been imposed for a major ICC event. 

Earlier this week, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the head of Pakistan's Interior Ministry, spoke to the media in Pakistan and expressed optimism that the Champions Trophy would take place in the country. Naqvi said he still held “positive expectations” for the tournament and reaffirmed the PCB’s commitment to hosting the event. He also stated that he was open to dialogue with the BCCI to resolve the issue, despite the ongoing deadlock over India’s participation. 

Naqvi mentioned that the PCB was still waiting for a formal response from the ICC regarding a set of questions the PCB had raised, particularly concerning why India was unable to send its team to Pakistan. This is the second time in successive years that the PCB has faced challenges around hosting a multi-nation tournament due to India’s travel restrictions. The 2023 Asia Cup, which was initially scheduled to be held entirely in Pakistan, was also moved to a hybrid model, with Pakistan hosting the tournament in partnership with Sri Lanka. The final match of the Asia Cup was played in Sri Lanka, and Pakistan’s team traveled to the island nation for the majority of the tournament. The PCB had hoped that India would reciprocate the gesture by sending its team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, but the situation remains unresolved.

The Impact on the 2025 Champions Trophy

With less than 100 days until the scheduled start of the 2025 Champions Trophy, the tournament’s future is increasingly uncertain. The lack of a confirmed schedule from the ICC, despite the event being less than three months away, underscores the seriousness of the situation. The ICC has yet to finalize the match schedule, and the hybrid model remains a contentious issue. 

One of the main sticking points is that the PCB has consistently maintained that the tournament should be held entirely in Pakistan, with three venues—Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi—selected for the event. The PCB’s stance is that the country was awarded hosting rights for the Champions Trophy back in 2021, and it should be allowed to carry out its plans without compromise. In this context, the hybrid model, which would see some of the matches moved to an overseas venue, is seen by the PCB as an unwelcome and last-resort solution. 

However, the ICC, faced with the dilemma of accommodating both Pakistan’s hosting rights and India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan, may be forced to consider this hybrid model to ensure that the tournament can still take place. While no overseas venue has yet been confirmed, the ICC is expected to discuss options during its emergency meeting, with countries such as the UAE and Sri Lanka being potential candidates.

A Pattern of Disputes Between India and Pakistan

This issue is part of a broader, ongoing dispute between India and Pakistan over travel restrictions for international cricket. Over the past several years, the two countries have found themselves unable to play bilateral series due to political tensions. The India-Pakistan rivalry, which has been a fixture of international cricket for decades, has been largely relegated to ICC events such as the World Cup and Champions Trophy, as both countries have opted not to engage in direct bilateral matches.

The political dimensions of the India-Pakistan cricketing dispute have had a far-reaching impact on international tournaments. The 2023 Asia Cup is one such example, as the Indian team’s refusal to travel to Pakistan led to the tournament being held across two countries. Similarly, the 2025 Champions Trophy is now at risk of facing the same fate, with the hybrid model serving as a potential compromise to allow the tournament to proceed.

The Indian team’s withdrawal from the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup, also scheduled to take place in Pakistan, further highlights the challenges surrounding India’s participation in events held in Pakistan. The withdrawal, which was a result of the Indian government’s refusal to clear the team’s travel to Pakistan, has only added to the complexity of the situation.

A Critical Meeting for the Future of the 2025 Champions Trophy

The emergency ICC Board meeting on November 26 will be a pivotal moment in deciding the fate of the 2025 Champions Trophy. With India’s participation in doubt, the Board will have to weigh the pros and cons of adopting a hybrid model, with matches split between Pakistan and a neutral venue. The PCB remains committed to hosting the event in its entirety, but the ongoing political and diplomatic challenges surrounding India’s travel to Pakistan mean that a compromise may be necessary.

With less than 100 days to go before the tournament’s scheduled start, time is running out to finalize the details. The outcome of the meeting will have significant ramifications for the tournament’s structure, the teams involved, and the future of international cricket relations between India and Pakistan. As the situation continues to evolve, all eyes will be on the ICC’s decision and whether a resolution can be found that allows the Champions Trophy to proceed as planned.