Rashid Latif, the former captain of Pakistan, has reported that the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025 will be with a hybrid model entirely. This has been agreed on among the ICC, BCCI, and PCB.
Latif revealed that India will not visit Pakistan for its matches but will play its games in Dubai. “The ICC and the two boards have agreed to move forward with the hybrid model. Pakistan will retain the hosting rights but India will play their matches in a neutral country. If India reaches the knockout stages, both the semi-finals and the final will be played outside Pakistan,” Latif explained.
The ICC is supposed to notify that decision after their meeting on Friday. It is stated that the tournament is to be conducted in February-March 2025, but it met some stiff obstacles when the BCCI refused to send its cricket team for security reasons in Pakistan.
Also Read: KIBOR Drops to 31-Month Low as Bond Yields Fall
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has earlier expressed his willingness to host the Champions Trophy wholly within Pakistan. In response to Naqvi’s statement, Latif said, “If I were Chairman PCB, I would make the same comment too. This is the same fate we faced with Asia Cup last year, and it was played under hybrid model.”
Under the said agreement, the ICC is expected to pay approximately $64-65 million as a hosting fee to PCB. Latif further said that if the hybrid model was agreed upon by the PCB, the country could also earn more; he added that it highly remains that the PCB won’t oppose it. A formal announcement from PCB and ICC is anticipated in no time.