ICC to take final call on Champions Trophy hosting arrangements after November 29 meeting

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is on its way to making a crucial decision about the Champions Trophy 2025. With India's participation in question, the upcoming board meeting on November 29, could determine the tournament's hosting arrangements.

With the current diplomatic issue between India and Pakistan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has firmly communicated that the Indian government will not grant permission for the national cricket team to travel to Pakistan. This has created tensions around the tournament, which was originally awarded to Pakistan for hosting in 2021. Notably, the Indian board had been demanding to host the tournament in the 'Hybrid' model.

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), led by the Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, has been strong in its position, insisting on hosting the entire tournament across three Pakistani venues, Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi.

The meeting will be conducted virtually

The upcoming virtual board meeting will see the future of the tournament's hosting rights. As per ESPNCricinfo, the meeting will include representatives from 12 Full Member countries, three Associate members, an independent director, and the ICC leadership, respectively.

Also Read: Our main focus at the moment is on ODI cricket ahead of the Champions Trophy: Aaqib Javed

The meeting will be the final board meeting for the outgoing ICC Chairman, Greg Barclay, who will be succeeded by the BCCI Secretary, Jay Shah, from December 1. The ICC has previously suggested a hybrid model where India could potentially play their matches at a neutral venue without needing to visit the host nation, Pakistan.

However, the PCB has been adamant about hosting the entire tournament within Pakistan, claiming that apart from India, no other participating teams have raised concerns about playing in the country. Albeit, uncertainty still looms over the eight-team ODI tournament, which was originally scheduled to take place between February 19 and it will conclude in March 2025.