ICC Champions Trophy 2025: ICC calls for urgent meeting to resolve India-Pakistan standoff & finalize schedule

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has called for an urgent board meeting on November 29 to resolve the growing issue surrounding next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025. With tensions rising between India and Pakistan over the prestigious tournament, the ICC is aiming to find a clear solution in the upcoming board meeting regarding the venue.

The BCCI has firmly made it clear that they will not send Team India to Pakistan due to security reasons, while the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has refused to back down, rejecting the idea of a hybrid model that would allow the Men in Blue to play their games in a neutral country.

ICC board to vote on venue for Champions Trophy 2025 amid India-Pakistan dispute

An ESPNCricinfo report revealed that the ICC is likely to ask all the board members to vote during the meeting to determine the fate of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. All the board members are likely to share their opinions to help the ICC find a solution to the India-Pakistan dispute.

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The meeting will be reportedly conducted virtually, with a decision expected to be reached only after the ICC Board members come to an agreement. The original window for the eight-nation ODI tournament has been set between February and March, but the ICC is yet to announce official dates or a schedule, which is usually done 100 days before the start of a global event.

As the ICC faces mounting pressure to come up with a solution that satisfies both parties—the BCCI and PCB—the Indian government's refusal to grant permission for the Indian cricket team to cross the border is leading the governing body to delay in announcing the Champions Trophy 2025 schedule.

Break
ICC Board meeting on Fri 29th November to consider the match schedule for the Champions Trophy #championtrophy2025

— Nitin K Srivastav (@Nitin_sachin) November 26, 2024

PCB rejects hybrid model, wants to stage entire ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan

India has already communicated their decision to the ICC two weeks ago, and the PCB has written to the ICC seeking clarification on the matter. However, the PCB has yet to receive a response from the ICC, further complicating the situation, as they were given the hosting rights back in 2021.

Meanwhile, the PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has strongly said that the entire 2025 Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan with matches scheduled across three cities: Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. Naqvi expressed a willingness to engage in talks with the BCCI to resolve the ongoing issue; there has been no further official statement from the PCB.

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Notably, the ICC Board features representatives from the 12 full member countries, three representatives from associate nations, an independent director, as well as the ICC chairman and CEO. This upcoming meeting is very important, as it will be the final meeting chaired by the outgoing ICC Chairman, Greg Barclay.

Jay Shah to replace Greg Barclay as the ICC Chairman

Actually, Greg Barclay is all set to be replaced by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah on December 1, 2024. Jay Shah, who also serves as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief apart from holding a key position in the ICC, will take over the role as the new ICC chairman next month. He was recently in Jeddah, attending the IPL 2024 mega auction on November 24 and 25.