ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan bow down as UAE set to host India’s matches

In a major development, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has agreed to follow the Hybrid Model for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the India National Cricket Team will not be playing their matches on Pakistan soil.

Reportedly, the Pakistan Cricket Board is ready to make 'adjustments' to the schedule of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and India's matches will be shifted from Pakistan to UAE.

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: India's matches were scheduled to be hosted by Lahore

A few months back, the tentative schedule of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 was revealed. As per that schedule, India's matches were set to be hosted by Lahore due to security and logistical reasons.

The competition is scheduled to start on February 19, 2025, and the high-octane match between India and Pakistan was scheduled on March 1. However, now it looks like the clash between arch-rivals will be hosted by a venue in the United Arab Emirates.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is currently renovating all the stadiums that will host the matches in the marquee tournament and is spending nearly 13 billion rupees. Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi will reportedly be hosting the matches in Pakistan alongside a venue in UAE.

PCB feels that even if the Indian government does not clear the tour to Pakistan slight adjustments can be made - Source

A PCB source during an interaction with PTI, stated that the Pakistan Cricket Board is ready to follow the Hybrid Model if the Indian government doesn't allow the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to send its team to Pakistan.

"The PCB feels that even if Indian government does not clear the tour to Pakistan slight adjustments can be made to the schedule, as in all probability India would play its matches in Dubai or Sharjah,” a reliable source in the PCB told PTI.

A recent report in SportsTak also revealed that the Indian government has denied permission to BCCI to send Team India to Pakistan. With the government not allowing the Rohit Sharma-led side to visit Pakistan, the International Cricket Council and Pakistan Cricket Board can't do anything.

Also Read: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Indian government denies BCCI permission to send Team India to Pakistan

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 schedule to be announced on November 11

As mentioned earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board had already sent a tentative schedule to the International Cricket Council and wants the governing body to announce the schedule on November 11. The PCB wants no delay in the schedule announcement because a backup plan for India's matches being held outside Pakistan is already in place alongside the required budget.

“The PCB has discussed with the ICC the tentative schedule, which they sent some months back, and wants the same schedule announced on 11 November,” said the source.

“It has told the ICC that since a back-up plan is already in place with a revised budget there is no sense in delaying releasing a tentative schedule of matches.”

Also, the Pakistan Cricket Board has strictly demanded the Board of Control for Cricket in India to confirm in writing the stance of the Indian government, and they want the BCCI to quickly announce their decision.

“The PCB wants the BCCI to give in writing whether they get permission from their government or not to send their team to Pakistan,” the source said.

The Hybrid Model is not something new for Pakistan as the same model was followed by the Pakistan Cricket Board during the Asia Cup 2023 when the competition was co-hosted by Sri Lanka after India refused to visit Pakistan.