Finally the long-stretched India-Pakistan Champions Trophy 2025 fiasco comes to an end where both India and Pakistan agree on the hybrid model for each other in ICC events from 2024-27.
With the adoption of a hybrid model that will see India’s matches in the eight-team competition held in a neutral venue, the ICC has finally broken through its impasse over the 2025 Champions Trophy. In exchange, a neutral venue will also be used for Pakistan’s matches at ICC events hosted by India.
According to an ESPNCricinfo report, a resolution with details of the agreement was passed through voting in an ICC meeting. The agreement says that all matches between India and Pakistan in ICC events hosted in Pakistan shall take place at neutral venues during the 2024–2027 event cycle, while all matches between India and Pakistan in ICC events hosted by India will also take place at neutral venues. In both cases, all matches are considered, including knockout games such as the semi-finals and final.
The implementation of the agreement begins with the 2025 men’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan and will extend to the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup in India and the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
The neutral venue will be chosen by the event host, which must be authorized by the ICC. For the Champions Trophy 2025, the PCB will maintain full hosting rights for the event. However, they got a deadline of 24 hours to propose a neutral venue, after the resolution was approved in the ICC meeting. Till now the UAE has been the frontrunner, while Sri Lanka has also been suggested.
A triangular or quadrangular T20I tournament between India, Pakistan, and another full member from Asia (and an associate Asian country if it’s a quadrangular) is also mentioned in the agreement. Although the ICC has simply stated that it will not object to such an event being organized and that the same neutral venue procedures will apply as those in the ICC event format.
This is believed to have been one of the items pressed for by the PCB during its negotiations during the impasse. The decision further states that the tri-series will be a matter between the BCCI and PCB only, and no ICC director will publicly announce it. Given how near the Champions Trophy is to starting, the agreement will allow all parties to breathe a significant sigh of relief.
