Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar made a striking assertion, stating that the hybrid model for the Champions Trophy had already been finalized, a few hours after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) accepted the demands of the BCCI and ICC. According to the proposed arrangement, all of India’s fixtures are expected to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while the remaining matches will occur in Pakistan.
The hybrid model proposal was introduced after the BCCI officially informed the ICC that the Indian team had not received government approval to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. The ICC also supported the model, citing concerns over instability in Islamabad. Initially, the PCB remained steadfast in its stance to host the entire tournament in Pakistan. However, they eventually relented, reportedly under the threat of losing hosting rights altogether.
While addressing Pakistani media Akhtar said, “You are getting paid for hosting rights and revenue, and that’s fine—we all understand it. Pakistan’s stance is also reasonable. They should have maintained a strong position—why not? Once we are able to host the Champions Trophy in our country and they are unwilling to come, they should share the revenue with us at a higher rate. That’s a good call,”
‘India mein khelo aur wahi unhe maarke aao’
Despite all the drama around the Champions Trophy 2025, Akhtar encouraged Pakistan not to be unfriendly towards India in maintaining their cricket relations, before mentioning that the PCB had already agreed to the hybrid model earlier, “In terms of playing in India in the future, we should extend a hand of friendship and go there. My belief has always been: go to India and defeat them there—India mein khelo aur wahi unhe maarke aao (play in India and beat them on their home ground). I understand that the hybrid model had already been signed earlier,” he added.
Read more: New Hybrid Arrangement For India vs Pakistan Matches In Place, Reports
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.
