PCB accepts hybrid model for Champions Trophy 2025, but on conditional terms

According to the freshest developments in relation to the Champions Trophy 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have given in on accepting the hybrid model for the tournament, which was originally scheduled to be hosted entirely in Pakistan. However, there is a twist to the entire narrative.

As per the latest reports, the PCB chairperson, Mohsin Naqvi, has asserted that they will only accept to go ahead with the hybrid model, if all future ICC events to be hosted in India have Pakistan's matches be played anywhere other than India.

"The current situation is that PCB Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, has said that it will only accept hosting the Champions Trophy on a hybrid model if the board agrees that in the future, all ICC events will be on the same system with Pakistan not going to India to play matches," stated a closely associated source as quoted by Hindustan Times.

There were two other critical conditions which the source shared, which are expected to be ultimately finalized by Naqvi shortly.

"Pakistan also wants the ICC board to increase its financial cycle share of revenues from 5.75% and Naqvi is insistent on this, but he has not sought any additional hosting fees. People are saying that Naqvi has sought time to get back after talking to his government, but we don't know if he went there with the backing of the government and had already sought their approval to make his stand in the ICC board's virtual meeting," the source added.

Three marquee events in India till 2031

Notably, there are three men's events to be held in India until 2031, the timeframe which is demanded by the PCB. The T20 World Cup in 2026 which will be co-hosted along with Sri Lanka, the 2029 Champions Trophy, and the 2031 ODI World Cup jointly with Bangladesh are the three tournaments for which India will have hosting rights. With this recent update, it is assured that the PCB have mellowed its viewpoint regarding their participation. Earlier, there were reports that they would back out of the competition if the eight-team tournament wouldn't be held in Pakistan in its entirety.

Earlier, the BCCI had made it clear to the ICC about the Indian team not travelling to Pakistan for the tournament, considering the intense cross-border between the arch-rivals. The board meeting scheduled by the ICC wasn't able to come up with a consensus regarding the fate of next year's edition.

As of now, the tournament is slated to be played from February 19 to March 9 in Pakistan. The Champions Trophy 2025 will be Pakistan's first ICC tournament it will host since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup.