Will South Africa Host ICC Champions Trophy 2025?
The playing model for the mega ICC event, Champions Trophy, which is set to take place in the first quarter of 2025, remains unclear, since PCB denies adopting hybrid model. We look at Will South Africa Host ICC Champions Trophy 2025?
With Indian team unwilling to travel to Pakistan for the 8-team tournament and seeking a hybrid model, but PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) remained steadfast in their commitment of hosting the entire event, ICC may take a call to shift the complete tournament to South Africa if Pakistan refuses to accept the hybrid model.
Why does Pakistan not agree to host Champions Trophy in Hybrid Model?
Pakistan is the official host of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and PCB’s chairman Mohsin Naqvi is firm on his stance that Pakistan will host the complete event.
Last week, the PCB chief firmly dismissed the possibility of even discussing the hybrid model and stated that the government will follow the government’s guidelines on the same.
Till today, no one has discussed any ‘Hybrid Model’ with us nor are we willing to talk about it. “I will take anything written to the government and whatever decision they take we have to follow them,” Naqvi told reporters.
However, the Indian team will not travel to Pakistan due to security concerns, and the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) wants the multi-team event to take place in hybrid model.
The same challenge occurred during the Asia Cup 2023 when Pakistan was the host of the headline tournament, but India refused to travel, so the board agreed to a hybrid structure, with all of India’s Asia Cup 2023 games played in Sri Lanka.
Champions Trophy 2025 in South Africa?
With Pakistan Cricket Board refusing to approve the hybrid model, the ICC (International Cricket Council) may move the entire tournament to South Africa.
As per a Sports Tak report, ICC has asked the Pakistan Cricket Board to agree for a hybrid model, but the PCB chief is not ready for it.
If PCB continues to deny the hybrid model with India’s games to take place in Dubai, the entire Champions Trophy will be shifted to South Africa.
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