ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Thursday that ICC Men’s 2025 Champions Trophy will be held under a hybrid model, with India set to play their matches at a neutral venue rather than in the host country.
According to the ICC website, the cricket body board confirmed that India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue.
The schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to be confirmed soon, with Pakistan aiming to defend the title they won in 2017.
This will apply to the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan), set to be played in February and March 2025, as well as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka), the ICC said.
It was also announced that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been awarded hosting rights of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where neutral venue arrangements will also apply.
JUST IN: ICC issues update on Champions Trophy 2025 venue.
Details 👇https://t.co/aWEFiF5qeS
— ICC (@ICC) December 19, 2024
The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Australia, India, England, New Zealand, and South Africa, alongside hosts Pakistan.
Earlier, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has finally reached a breakthrough in the 2025 Champions Trophy stalemate, with a hybrid model agreed upon that will see India’s matches in the eight-team event taking place at a neutral venue, ESPNcricinfo claimed on Thursday.
The website reported that in return, Pakistan’s matches with India in ICC events hosted by India will also take place at a neutral venue.
ESPNcricinfo claimed that it has seen a resolution with details of the agreement, and which is likely to undergo an ICC board vote, in which during the 2024-2027 event cycle, all matches involving India in an event hosted in Pakistan will be played at a neutral venue, and in return all matches involving Pakistan in an event hosted by India will be played at a neutral venue.
This agreement applies to the 2025 men’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan, the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup in India, and the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, the website reported.
It could also apply to the 2028 women’s T20 World Cup, the first tournament of the next event cycle and which has now been awarded to Pakistan.
Neutral venue selection
The neutral venue will be proposed by the tournament host board and will need to be approved by the world cricket body.
The ICC has said it does not object to a triangular T20I tournament involving India, Pakistan and another Asian Full Member nation (or an Associate Asian nation being included to make it a quadrangular) being arranged as well, subject to such tournaments being played at a neutral venue.
The idea of such a tri-nation series arose as compensation for Pakistan losing out on hosting India’s matches in next year’s Champions Trophy, the website added.
