Turning around from their statements about the Champions Trophy, the Pakistan Cricket Board has agreed to make some “adjustments” to the schedule. According to the reports, PCB is willing to host India’s matches in Dubai. The ODI World Cup, 1996 was the last ICC tournament hosted by Pakistan. The Asia Cup 2023 was the last tournament that was also hosted by Pakistan in a hybrid model, with all of India’s matches held in Sri Lanka.
The reason behind the hybrid model is that the Indian government won’t allow Men in Blue to travel to Pakistan due to political tension between the two nations and security concerns for the national team. A PCB source told PTI, “The PCB feels that even if the 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”.
Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi will host the entire tournament. An ICC delegation will visit Pakistan next week to review the preparations. The tournament will kick off on 19 February where hosts will lock horns against New Zealand. The clash of arch-rivals India vs Pakistan is scheduled for 1 March 2025.
Jasir Basharat is a cricket enthusiast capturing the heart of the game through insightful analysis and storytelling sharing his passion for the sport through engaging narratives. He is a business graduate from University of Kashmir.
