The uncertainty surrounding the fate of Champions Trophy 2025 continues to loom large. With less than two months to go, the fate of the marquee event remains vastly unknown. The entire tournament was originally planned to be held in Pakistan but India's refusal to send its national side to the neighboring country has created numerous complications for the apex body. Both BCCI and the PCB are reportedly at loggerheads and unwilling to make any concessions on their part.

The major source of contention currently revolves around finalizing the venues. But in recent times, ICC has managed to make some notable progress in resolving this ongoing dispute between the two major cricketing bodies. In a bid to break the deadlock once and for all, ICC has confirmed on Thursday that the matches between India and Pakistan will be scheduled in a neutral venue till 2027 which also included the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.

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Major announcement on IND-PAK matches

In a recent statement published by the executive Board of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the governing body confirmed the acceptance of a "two-way" hybrid model for India-Pakistan matches. In other words, the proposal implies that India will not travel to Pakistan and rather play it's matches in a neutral venue whereas Paksitan will also have the same arrangement in place and play all it's matches against India in a neutral venue. 

"India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country as part of the ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue, the ICC Board confirmed on Thursday." 

The agreement will remain in place till 2027 and will automatically apply to the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan), set to be played in February and March 2025, as well as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka).

In addition, Pakistan will also be awarded the hosting rights of the Women's T20 World Cup 2028 and arrangements to pursue neautral venues will be explored accordingly. Experts speculate that Dubai can be seen as an ideal venue to host India's matches in the upcoming Champions Trophy edition.

ICC to communicate Champions Trophy schedule shortly

After successfully forging a deal between two ideologically opposed cricketing bodies, ICC is now working around the clock to finalize the schedule of the Champions Trophy 2025. They are in a race against time and are under immense pressure from the broadcasters who are demanding for an official schedule to be finalized at the earliest convinience. The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, and South Africa, alongside hosts and defending champions Pakistan.

As per widespread reports, it is believed that the PCB, headed by Mohsin Naqvi has given in to ICC & BCCI's demands to host the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 in a hybrid model. As per sources from PTI, it has been "agreed in principle" by the Jay Shah-led International Cricket Council (ICC) and its member associates to host the Champions Trophy with a hybrid model.

The marquee event will comprise eight teams and will be played in the month of February and March in 2025. While the majority of the matches would be played in Pakistan, India will have their matches scheduled in a natural venue which in all likelihood would be Dubai. As per a top ICC source, the decision has more or less been finalized during an informal meeting between the body's new President Jay Shah and the Board of Directors, including Pakistan.

See also: Champions Trophy Venue debacle to be settled over this weekend

Hybrid model but with a twist

Whilst accepting the proposal to go ahead with a hybrid model, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi stressed having a reciprocal arrangement for its national side till 2031 and urged the BCCI to comply with their request. Although BCCI is yet to respond to this request, ICC has come forward and formally accepted PCB's plea to have a similar arrangement till 2027. 

"It's been agreed in principle by all parties that the 2025 Champions Trophy will be held in the UAE and Pakistan with India playing its matches in Dubai. It's a win-win situation for all stakeholders."

However, such a development can spell bad news for BCCI and its supporters. Between 2025 and 2027, India will play host to two World Cup editions. The Women's ODI World Cup will be held in 2026 whereas the Men's T20 World Cup will be held a year later in 2027. 

Should Pakistan abstain from visiting India as per the newly proposed hybrid model agreement, Indian fans could be devoid of high-octane Indo-Pak rivalry on their home turf. More importantly, both the BCCI and the ICC will have to cope with some significant financial blows if that were to happen. 

What does the future look like for the Indian team?

Being the host of an ICC event, India will have to go the extra mile by visiting a neutral venue to play its fixtures with Pakistan. Such a move may not only be unsustainable but also be unprecedented from BCCI's standpoint. 

Such an agreement will effectively mean that the Indian women's team will have to travel to a neutral venue to play their league match against Pakistan whereas Pakistan's men's team will be considering the possibility of playing all its matches of the upcoming T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka.

Bilateral ties between the two countries have been at an all-time low since the 2008 terror attacks. India's last visit to Pakistan came in the 2008 Asia Cup edition with Sri Lanka being the eventual winners of it. 

The uncertainty regarding the fate of the Champions Trophy 2025 continues to linger on as ICC is yet to finalize the venue which both BCCI and PCB can mutually agree upon. Whilst the BCCI continues to persuade the ICC to adopt a hybrid model, the PCB on the other hand remains hell-bent on organizing the entire tournament in Pakistan, be it with or without India.

This deadlock has put ICC in a difficult situation. With less than 100 days to go for the marquee event, ICC called upon an urgent meeting on Friday, 29th of November with the BCCI and PCB to come to an urgent solution. That meeting lasted for about 15 minutes on a phone call and has been further deferred to the weekend in a bid to allow the boards more time to reach a mutually agreed solution.

See also: The future of Champions Trophy 2025 set to be determined at the ICC's board meeting this Friday

What's in the works to make the CT 2025 dream work?

It is now understood that along with BCCI and PCB leadership, a couple of other member boards will now sit down with the ICC think tank to work out a solution that can be acceptable to all parties. 

The two boards who are now at loggerheads with each other have been actively discussing this matter and the discussions will likely continue over this weekend. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has publicly made it clear that he is open to helping BCCI sort out problems with regard to their travel to Pakistan.

The ongoing Champions Trophy tussle has now evolved into a political issue between the two countries and in all likelihood, any proposal that is taken mutually by the boards will have to be government-approved before being submitted to the ICC.  

PCB has officially stuck to its age-old narrative of not hosting the eight-team tournament in the hybrid format. However, in recent times, there has been a slight alteration in that narrative but with certain conditions. Should a hybrid model be adopted due to India's unwillingness to travel to India, Pakistan may also reciprocate in a tit-for-tat manner and may demand the ICC to shift their fixtures with India to a neutral venue for future tournaments. 

On Thursday morning, Naqvi didn't rule out the possibility of having a hybrid model but stressed that he will need the clearance and the backing of his own government to make any subsequent decisions. 

The Indian government's stance on this matter

A spokesperson from the MEA in India publically stated while addressing the press that India will not tour Pakistan citing 'security concerns'. He makes his stance clear that the government is unwilling to send the Rohit Sharma-led team to the neighboring country due to the ongoing security crisis. 

"They have said there are security concerns there and therefore it is unlikely the team will be going there. Please do refer to the statement issued by the BCCI."

The BCCI has not issued a public statement on the matter of their travel to Pakistan, nor has security been a prime source of concern as highlighted by MEA. In fact, the BCCI has treated the decision to travel to Pakistan as one to be made by the Indian government rather than the board.

With less than 100 days to go, the fate of the 2025 Champions Trophy edition hangs in uncertainty as the Indian government reportedly denied clearance to the Men in Blue to tour the neighboring nation. Both nations have been locked in a decades-long political stan-doff which in recent times has also jeopardised their cricketing ties. 

While PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi remains adamant about hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan, India's persistent request to opt for a 'hybrid' model has put the ICC in a very difficult situation. On Friday, the ICC aims to resolve the deadlock between the two cricketing boards once and for all. The meeting will take place on November 29 with an aim to bring about a proposal that both India and Pakistan can jointly agree upon.

India's constant push for a hybrid model

Time and again, the BCCI has repeatedly quashed any possibility of sending the Rohit Sharma-led India team to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy edition. 

The government of India has refused to provide any clearance to the Indian team citing security reasons. A similar approach was taken last year in the 50-over Asia Cup which despite the PCB's stubbornness, was played in a hybrid model. 

As was the case, the Indian government was reluctant to send its national team to Pakistan on the grounds of security concerns and as a result, the hybrid model was adopted in which all the Indian fixtures along with the knockout games were played in Sri Lanka. 

See also: Pakistan's Champions Trophy dream gets a massive hit

Moving the tournament outside Pakistan

PCB's firm stance against adopting a hybrid model can prove determinantal for Pakistan cricket. Not only will the board lose millions in revenue from the ICC, but the governing body may be forced to snatch the hosting rights from Pakistan and shift the tournament elsewhere to UAE or Sri Lanka. 

Moreover, against the backdrop of recent political unrest in Islamabad, the possibility of the tournament moving outside Pakistan looms large. The security is beefed up around the capital city as Imran Khan's supporters gather in lare groups to storm it. ICC will closely monitor the volatile situation from a distance and come to an immediate conclusion should the political tension escalate to a whole new level.

The last time the Indian team triumphed in this tournament was way back in 2013 under the leadership of MS Dhoni and finished as the runners-up in 2017.

The tug of war between PCB and BCCI continues to rage on as the Champions Trophy 2025 schedule nears its official announcement. BCCI openly expressed its displeasure about visiting Pakistan citing "security" concerns and rather suggested the ICC to have all their matches shifted to a neutral venue, Dubai. 

However, the PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi strongly voiced his objection to BCCI's inclination towards having a proposed "hybrid" model. He reiterated firmly that the entire tournament will be hosted in Pakistan and the Indian team, like other participating teams, are obliged to visit the country. In a recent media discussion at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Naqvi revealed that the PCB is yet to receive any official confirmation from the BCCI regarding India's objection to playing in Pakistan. 

What is Mohsin Naqvi's stance on this issue?

Amidst growing reports on the India team's unwillingness to participate in the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan, Naqvi has said that he is actively in touch with his Indian counterpart and assures that he is working around the clock with his team to make progress on this issue. He further clarified his stance and explained that if any objections need to be conveyed by the BCCI then it has to be in the form of writing. As of now, the PCB has not received any official complaint or an objection in the written format.

"In the last two months, the Indian media has been reporting that India isn't traveling. I discussed this with them and my team, and our stance is clear: they need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one. The Indian media are reporting it, but no formal communication has reached the PCB."

Additionally, Naqvi also debunks any possibility of adopting a hybrid model and states that there has been no discussion between the PCB and the BCCI of having a hybrid model and neither are they in a position to adopt one. 

Distraught cricketing ties between India and Pakistan

Both India and Pakistan have been bitter rivals off the field but due to the ongoing political standoff. Despite the bitter geopolitical ties, cricket between the two Asian cricketing giants blossomed and the rivalry between the two nations was something to behold. Since the infamous terror attacks in Mumbai, India has never toured Pakistan for a bilateral series since 2008. Pakistan too, have severed their cricketing ties with India and last came on a bilateral series tour in 2012-13. However, the two nations continue to face each other in major ICC events. 

Naqvi elaborates that Pakistan has been very cooperative in this matter and despite BCCI's refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, PCB still made a decision to send their cricket team to play the ODI World Cup 2023. That tournament eventually adopted a hybrid model, with the latter stages played in Sri Lanka. He expects BCCI to adopt a positive approach. Furthermore, he has been a long believer in the fact that sports should not get embroiled in politics. Whether or not two countries get along has nothing to do with sports.

"Cricket should be free of politics. If you don't get along with another country, that's another matter, but politics should not be involved in sport."  

At this stage, it is hard to ascertain the fate of the Champions Trophy. PCB remains adamant about its position to host all Champions Trophy matches inside Pakistan but it is also clear that BCCI will not make any decisive move on this matter without the clearance from their government. 

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While Jay Shah is set to leave the secretary post of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to start his journey as the next chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), then who will be the next BCCI secretary?

Last August, Jay Shah was elected unopposed for the next ICC chairman post. He will start the new role officially on December 1, after Greg Barclay ends his second tenure as the ICC chairman. Shah is going to be the youngest ICC chairman. He is set to be the fifth Indian to become the ICC chairman. 

Two names in strong candidates

Now, the BCCI needs a new secretary as Shah has to leave this role to become the ICC chairman. According to recent media reports, there are two strong candidates to take up this role. 

One name is Rohan Jaitley, the present President of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). The other name is Anil Patel, the present secretary of the Gujarat Cricket Association.

An India Today report claims that there will be no Special General Meeting (SGM) for the appointment of the next BCCI secretary.  

According to the India Today report, Rohan Jaitley is the favourite to take up the next BCCI secretary role. He started his journey in cricket administration four years ago after becoming the new DDCA President. His father was the previous DDCA President who held the role for 14 years. 

Rohan Jaitley's experience in the DDCA

Under Rohan Jaitley’s tenure, the DDCA has experienced massive improvement. His tenure successfully hosted five matches of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. 

Jaitley also played an important role in successfully organise the first edition of the Delhi Premier League. Rishabh Pant, Ishant Sharma, etc were the popular faces in the first edition of the tournament.  

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given a big boost to Indian athletes preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics by donating Rs 8.5 crore (about $1.03 million) to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

This money will help the Indian team in their campaign at the Paris Olympics, starting on July 26.

Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary shared this news on his ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) account. He said he’s proud that the BCCI is supporting the amazing athletes representing India at this prestigious event. The BCCI’s funds will help the IOA with their preparations and logistics for the Olympics.

“I am proud to announce that the @BCCI will be supporting our incredible athletes representing #India at the 2024 Paris Olympics. We are providing INR 8.5 Crores to the IOA for the campaign. To our entire contingent, we wish you the very best. Make India proud! Jai Hind!” he wrote on x

India plans to send 117 athletes to compete in various sports at the Paris Games. Along with them, 140 support staff will also go, making the total team size 257 members.

The BCCI’s financial help will strengthen the efforts of Indian athletes and support staff as they aim for excellence on the world stage. Jay Shah also wished the entire Indian team good luck, encouraging them to make the nation proud.

This financial support shows the BCCI’s commitment to promoting and supporting Indian athletes in various sports.

According to PTI, the International Cricket Council (ICC) encountered a substantial financial setback, losing approximately USD 20 million (Rs 167 crore) while hosting the T20 World Cup 2024 games in the USA.

This issue is expected to be a major discussion point at the ICC Annual Conference starting Friday in Colombo. While it is not on the nine-point agenda of the Annual General Meeting (AGM), it will be addressed as part of a “post-event report.”

Financial losses from the T20 World Cup

A significant portion of the T20 World Cup, including the highly anticipated India-Pakistan match in New York, was held in the USA. The financial losses incurred will be scrutinized during the conference. The ICC’s decision to host major matches in the USA aimed to expand cricket’s global reach but resulted in unexpected financial challenges.

Many matches throughout the World Cup were abandoned due to rain, with a significant number of cancellations occurring in the USA due to cyclonic weather in Florida. As a result, the ICC lost ticket revenues from those matches and suffered a substantial loss.

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Will Jay Shah lead the ICC?

Another critical topic for discussion during the AGM is the potential replacement of ICC chairman Greg Barclay by BCCI secretary Jay Shah. According to PTI, an ICC source mentioned that there is keen interest in Shah’s transition to the leadership of the world body.

“It is not about how but when, as he still has one year left as BCCI secretary before his cooling-off period in the Indian board starts in 2025 as per the constitution,” the source said.

There is speculation about changing the chairmanship term from three terms of two years each to two terms of three years each, which would facilitate Shah’s transition from BCCI to ICC. If Shah emerges as a contender for the ICC role, current chairman Greg Barclay may have to leave his post before the end of his tenure.

NEW DELHI: The upcoming ICC Annual Conference in Colombo, starting on Friday, promises to be a pivotal event for the cricketing world. Attention will be focused on BCCI secretary Jay Shah, as discussions may intensify regarding his potential succession of New Zealander Greg Barclay as chairman of the global body.

A major topic expected to dominate the conference is the financial losses the ICC incurred from hosting T20 World Cup games in the United States.

Reports indicate that the losses exceed USD 20 million. Although the nine-point agenda of the AGM does not explicitly mention the financial details, they will be addressed as part of a “post-event report,” a standard operating procedure. The agenda also includes the appointment of ICC’s new external auditor, discussions on ICC memberships, reports from associate members’ meetings, and the presentation of ICC development awards.

An important issue that is not on the ICC Board’s official agenda but might be raised under “Any Other Business” is India’s decision not to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. According to an ICC source, a key point of interest is when Jay Shah will assume leadership of the global body. The source stated, “It is not about how but when, as he still has one year left as BCCI secretary before his cooling-off period in the Indian board begins in 2025, as per the constitution.”

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Potential changes to ICC Chairmanship terms to conform Jay Shah

However, if Jay Shah is to take over in 2025, Barclay will not be able to complete his third term from December 2024 to December 2026. Speculation suggests that the ICC might change the chairmanship term from three terms of two years each to two terms of three years, maintaining the cumulative six-year term. This change would allow Shah to complete his tenure as BCCI secretary and assume the ICC chairmanship in 2025 for three years during his cooling-off period from the BCCI. Subsequently, in 2028, he could return and take over as BCCI president.