If the reports doing the rounds are to be believed, UAE is set to replace Pakistan as the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 host. Earlier, Pakistan were expected to acquire hosting rights for the Champions Trophy but it seems that they are running out of luck now. In general, the decision to cancel the hosting rights is taken with the objective of ensuring the safety and well-being of players, officials and fans.
The report further added that PCB urged the apex cricket body, ICC to sign the Champions Trophy 2025 hosting rights agreements with it, highlighting that they should be duly remunerated if Team India refuses to travel to the country citing political and security reasons.
The last time India travelled to Pakistan for a full-fledged bilateral series was back in 2005-2006. Since then, bilateral cricketing ties between the two nations strained. As a result, both nations have been locking horns with each other only in the ICC and the Asia Cup events.
UAE likely to host ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Instead of Pakistan, it very much seems that Dubai stands out as the official host for the tournament or hybrid model if the Indian government doesn’t change its stance. The source also added that PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf and COO Salman Naseer came to India in order to meet the ICC executive board in Ahmedabad to discuss the prospect of hosting the mega ICC tournament from February to March 2025.
“Pakistani officials discussed the probability of the Indian board (BCCI) again refusing to send its team to Pakistan and made it clear that in any given situation the ICC must avoid taking unilateral decisions on the tournament,” a source said. During the discussion, Pakistan Cricket Board officials recommended to ICC that if India refuses to play in Pakistan on security grounds, then they should recruit an independent security agency.
“The PCB officials said many top teams had toured Pakistan in the last two years without any security concerns. They also made it clear that in case of India not sending its team and its matches being moved to another country, then the ICC must compensate Pakistan for this,” the source further added.
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Australia and India won the ICC Champions Trophy twice whereas South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Pakistan won the trophy once each. Pakistan were the champions in the previous edition of the Champions Trophy, in which they defeated India in the 2017 final to clinch their maiden trophy.