New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is anticipated to convene a virtual assembly on Friday, November 29, to deliberate on the future of the 2025 Champions Trophy, aiming to provide definitive answers regarding the tournament's location.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the ICC Board intends to achieve a consensus during this assembly prior to finalizing any decisions. The tournament, initially scheduled for February 19 to March, remains undecided on its official dates.
Furthermore, the assembly is set to address the possibility of hosting the tournament exclusively in Pakistan or adopting a hybrid model, where Pakistan would share hosting duties with another country, which has not yet been identified.
The assembly was called following a formal letter from the ICC to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), indicating India's refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in early 2025. The PCB, in consultation with the Pakistani government, is in the process of formulating its position for the discussions.
The decision to not tour Pakistan by India was influenced by ongoing political tensions, with the last visit occurring in 2008 during the Asia Cup. The two nations last met in a bilateral series in 2012-13, which included white-ball matches, and currently, their main competitions are in ICC tournaments and Asia Cups.
India has consistently maintained its policy of not touring Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, citing security concerns. Rajeev Shukla, the vice-president of the BCCI, has recently reaffirmed this policy, stating that the team would only visit Pakistan with the approval of the Indian government.
It is important to note that Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup last year in a hybrid format, where matches involving India were played in Sri Lanka, with the remainder of the tournament hosted in Pakistan.
