A day after a virtual ICC board meeting concluded without deciding the venue for the Champions Trophy in 2025, a final decision remains elusive. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was in Dubai today and as he watched Pakistan Under-19’s victory over India, there was increased intrigue over whether the PCB, BCCI and ICC were able to reach an agreement on the upcoming tournament year.
Just as he did in the early hours of this Thursday, Naqvi did not categorically rule out a hybrid model for holding the tournament, something he has done in the past. “We will do what is best for cricket,” he told reporters in Dubai. “If we adopt any other formula [except hosting the tournament in Pakistan]this will be done on the basis of equality. The most important thing for Pakistan is your respect; everything else is secondary.”
Once again, Naqvi repeated what he stated several times at the Gaddafi Stadium earlier in the week. “A unilateral agreement is no longer acceptable. It cannot be that we continue to go to India but they do not visit Pakistan. Whatever happens must be done on the basis of equality.”
What such an arrangement might look like remains unclear. Naqvi’s repeated comments on “equality” have raised speculation that the PCB will look to obtain some concessions if it agrees to a hybrid model in any form. This could entail an agreement for India to play its matches outside Pakistan, but a decision that any future tournaments that India hosts will offer provisions for Pakistan to play its matches outside India. There is also the possibility of some financial reward for the PCB in addition to such a deal, although Naqvi said earlier this week that decisions would not be based on money.
ESPNcricinfo understands a decision is expected to be made in the coming days, although Naqvi’s comments suggest there are still significant loose ends to be tied up. Most likely, any proposal will have to be submitted to the governments of India and Pakistan before being presented to the ICC for approval; India was refused permission to travel to Pakistan by the Indian government and the PCB has repeatedly said as a result that any action it takes will have to be approved by its government.
“We need to resolve this once and for all,” Naqvi said. “And no matter what happens, everyone should be treated equally. Any deal will not just be for the Champions Trophy, but for the long term.
The tournament is scheduled to start in less than 90 days, on February 19th. Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi are the venues scheduled to host the games, but if a hybrid option is chosen, it would involve another location outside of Pakistan. The United Arab Emirates, where Naqvi met with ECB representatives today, is a pioneer in this scenario.
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