The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reached an important agreement for the 2025 Champions Trophy, ending the uncertainty around the event. According to the new agreement, all matches involving India in the tournament, which will be held in Pakistan, will be played at a neutral venue. Similarly, Pakistan’s matches in ICC events hosted by India will also take place at neutral venues. This deal has brought clarity to the tournament and eased tensions between the two countries.
Neutral Venues for India and Pakistan’s Matches
Under this agreement, matches involving India in events hosted by Pakistan will be played at a neutral venue. In return, any match involving Pakistan in events hosted by India will also be played at a neutral venue. This includes all matches, including knockout games like semifinals and finals. This arrangement will last for the 2024-2027 event cycle.
Affected Tournaments
This neutral venue agreement will apply to several major tournaments:
- The 2025 Men’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan
- The 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup in India
- The 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka Additionally, the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in Pakistan, may also follow the same model.
How Neutral Venues Will Be Decided
Host’s Role in Choosing Venues
The tournament host will propose a neutral venue for the matches, and the ICC will need to approve the choice. After the agreement was approved, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had 24 hours to propose a venue for the 2025 Champions Trophy. The UAE is currently the top choice, though Sri Lanka is also being considered. Even though matches will be played at neutral venues, Pakistan will still have full hosting rights for the event.
Potential for Triangular or Quadrangular T20I Tournament
In addition to the Champions Trophy, there has been talk of a triangular or quadrangular T20I tournament. This event would involve India, Pakistan, and another Asian Full Member country. If it becomes a quadrangular tournament, an Associate Asian nation may also join. The ICC will not block this event, and similar neutral venue rules will apply. The details of the event are still being discussed between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the PCB.
A Welcome Resolution
Finalizing the Agreement After Intense Negotiations
The resolution of this issue comes as a huge relief to all parties involved, especially with the Champions Trophy fast approaching. The uncertainty began when the BCCI announced that it would not travel to Pakistan for the event. This led to weeks of intense talks between the ICC, BCCI, and PCB, complicated by the strained political relations between India and Pakistan.
Both countries’ governments played a role in approving the agreement. Key figures such as Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, and Jay Shah, the new ICC chairman, were involved in the discussions. At first, the PCB resisted the hybrid model but later accepted it, ensuring that no matches between India and Pakistan will be held in each other’s countries for the next two ICC events.