In a significant development regarding the 2025 Champions Trophy, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have reportedly agreed to implement a hybrid model for global tournaments hosted in Pakistan and India up until 2027, as per a report by Pakistan News Beat citing sources.
The hybrid model, designed to ease the ongoing tensions between the two cricketing giants, will allow India and Pakistan to play their respective matches in ICC tournaments at neutral venues. The decision follows discussions between ICC Chief Jay Shah and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi in Dubai, sources revealed.
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There are three major ICC events scheduled in Pakistan and India between 2024 and 2027: the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan, the Women’s ODI World Cup in India (2025), and the Men’s T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka (2026).
The ICC Board is expected to convene on December 7 to discuss further details regarding the Champions Trophy. This follows the PCB’s introduction of a ‘Partnership or Fusion Formula,’ a proposal aimed at resolving the deadlock over the 2025 Champions Trophy. The formula suggests that India and Pakistan will play all their matches at neutral venues for the duration of ICC events between the two countries.
The plan would see both teams avoiding travel to each other’s countries for the upcoming global tournaments, with all their fixtures taking place at third-party locations.
Sources have indicated that the ICC will make a final decision after consulting with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The ongoing discussions come after the ICC postponed its board meeting without reaching a conclusion on the Champions Trophy’s fate, which is scheduled to take place in Pakistan in February-March 2025.
Previously, the BCCI proposed a hybrid model where India’s matches for the Champions Trophy would be held in Dubai, rather than Pakistan. However, the PCB rejected this suggestion outright, insisting that the tournament be hosted entirely on Pakistani soil.
