During a recent television debate in Pakistan about the Champions Trophy controversy, a panellist argued that India should be replaced by Sri Lanka in the eight-team 50-over tournament. Another panellist countered, remarking, “You don’t discard the player that holds both bat and ball. You don’t eliminate India when world cricket depends on them, especially given the broadcaster is from the country.”
This debate summed up the Catch-22 situation facing Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Since last staging a global event in 1996, the PCB is eager to host the Champions Trophy at any cost, whether India participates or not. The PCB aims to showcase that Pakistan, often targeted for security issues, is ready to change that ‘unsafe image’. Hosting a major event like the Champions Trophy, nearly three decades later, would strengthen this perception.
The global reality is different. Without India’s participation, the Champions Trophy – or any ICC event for that matter – would be a non-starter. Adding to the situation is PCB’s firm stance against a hybrid model, which would have allowed Pakistan to host but move India’s games, including a semifinal and the final, to a neutral venue, likely the UAE. But the PCB is not ready for this.
With India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) making it clear that their team will not travel to Pakistan, only a few options remain for stakeholders – the ICC and the PCB. Specifically, there are three potential scenarios:
1. The PCB agrees to the hybrid model and five of the 15 games are played in UAE.
2. The Champions Trophy is moved out of Pakistan, in which case the PCB might withdraw from the competition.
3. The Champions Trophy is indefinitely postponed.
Each option has serious implications for both the tournament and the PCB’s ambitions. The PCB risks facing ICC sanctions, including cuts to substantial ICC funding, if it withdraws. Additionally, moving or postponing the Champions Trophy would mean losing out on potentially USD 65 million as hosting fees, substantial money for the PCB. This loss would rankle further considering that it made serious investments to upgrade infrastructure for the Champions Trophy at the three earmarked venues – Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore.
Reports from Pakistan indicate that the government has advised the PCB against accepting a hybrid model. “It’s off the table. The PCB will naturally follow government guidance,” said a source familiar with the situation.
Following extensive consultations, the PCB has written to the ICC seeking clarifications. In the ICC-PCB communication regarding India’s stance, there appears to be no mention of security issues, and the PCB has raised numerous questions on that front. It also highlighted that over the past two years, New Zealand has toured Pakistan thrice, England twice, and Australia once.
“The PCB has responded to last week’s ICC letter seeking clarifications for the BCCI’s decision not to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025,” PCB spokesperson Sami-Ul-Hasan told Cricbuzz on Tuesday confirming the PCB is engaging with the ICC which, as reported by this website, called off a 100-day countdown event in Lahore, throwing the whole situation in a disarray.
The role of the ICC raises questions in the whole saga. It is a well-known fact that India would not be willing to travel to Pakistan given the diplomatic relations between the countries, and the ICC’s role to this standoff remains a central point. It has been claimed that the tournament schedule was shared with all stakeholders and participating teams well in advance and the BCCI did not voice any objections at the time. Furthermore, since the Champions Trophy was awarded to Pakistan, there have been around 12 ICC board meetings, with no formal concerns raised by the BCCI regarding India’s participation.
What is missed here is that the BCCI operates under the guidance of the Indian government and cannot make a decision without the official approval. Former India Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, while he was still in office, had long stated that India would not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. While this may not have been an official position of the BCCI at that time, anyone with a sane understanding of India-Pakistan dynamics would easily see through the situation. The ball is now well and truly in the ICC’s court.