ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Not To Be Held In Pakistan Due To India: Report

Pakistan are reportedly in danger of missing out on hosting the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. The ninth edition of the tournament is scheduled to be played in Pakistan in February and March 2025.

It will be the first edition of the tournament since England hosted it in 2017. The forthcoming edition of the Champions Trophy will be first global tournament in Pakistan since they co-hosted the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) could miss out on hosting the competition due to India.

According to Abhishek Tripathi of Dainik Jagran, Team India are unlikely to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy because of the poor bilateral relations between the two countries. India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since the 2012/13 season and have only played in Asia Cups and ICC events since then.

Pakistan in danger of losing Champions Trophy hosting rights:

The journalist stated that the Champions Trophy might suffer the fate of Asia Cup 2023. The last edition of the Asia Cup was scheduled to be played in Pakistan. However, the BCCI refused to send Team India to Pakistan for the competition. Pakistan then threatened to pull out of the ICC World Cup 2023 but it made little difference.

In the end, the Asian Cricket Council announced that the tournament would be organized in a hybrid model with four matches being held in Pakistan, and the remaining nine in Sri Lanka. And the Champions Trophy could also be played in a similar way or get entirely shifted to a different venue preferably the United Arab Emirates.

“Champions Trophy will not be held in Pakistan. Champions Trophy can be held in UAE or in hybrid model like Asia Cup. Unless there is a radical change in the policy of the Indian Government, it will be impossible for the Indian team to play in Pakistan,” wrote the journalist on X.

पाकिस्तान में नहीं होगी चैंपियंस ट्राफी। यूएई में या एशिया कप की तरह हाइब्रिड माडल में हो सकती है चैंपियंस ट्राफी। अगर भारत सरकार की नीति में आमूलचूल परिवर्तन नहीं हुआ तब तक भारतीय टीम का पाकिस्तान में खेलने जाना असंभव।

— Abhishek Tripathi / अभिषेक त्रिपाठी (@abhishereporter) November 27, 2023

Meanwhile, a total of eight teams will participate in the forthcoming edition of the Champions Trophy. Pakistan qualified for the competition automatically as hosts and were joined by the seven other highest-ranked teams from the ICC World Cup 2023 league stage.