Pakistan and the UAE are set to co-host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, with significant venue changes following India's withdrawal from games scheduled in Pakistan. India's cricket board, the BCCI, citing government advisories, chose not to send its team to Pakistan, prompting the International Cricket Council (ICC) to implement a hybrid model for the tournaments scheduled between 2025 and 2027. Under this arrangement, all of India's matches, including the high-profile game against Pakistan, will take place in Dubai.
The tournament is scheduled from February 19 to March 9, 2025, and will feature eight teams divided evenly between two groups of four. Group A consists of India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, whereas Group B includes Australia, England, South Africa, and Afghanistan. Pakistan's opening batter, Fakhar Zaman, has made predictions about the semifinalists, excluding the traditional powerhouses of Australia and England from his foresight. Instead, he forecasts Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, and South Africa will advance.
The ICC Champions Trophy will mark Pakistan's first time hosting global cricket since 1996. The event serves as compensation for Pakistan after India refused to participate on home soil, with the ICC awarding Pakistan the hosting rights for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2028 as part of the agreement. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi expressed satisfaction with this outcome, emphasizing the importance of cooperation among cricketing nations.
The tournament kicks off with Australia facing England on February 22, 2025, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Following this match, the Australian team will compete against South Africa on February 25 and wrap up their group stage against Afghanistan on February 28. If Australia progresses to the semifinals, they will play at Lahore, except against India, where the match will take place in Dubai.
This flexibility exemplifies the hybrid model adopted to accommodate India's demands for neutral grounds as part of their participation. The agreement signifies the importance of maintaining relations through cricket, especially since India has not played matches on Pakistani soil since 2008, following the Mumbai terror attacks and subsequent tensions.
The last edition of the ICC Champions Trophy took place in 2017, where Pakistan triumphed over India, and Zaman was named Player of the Match after scoring a century. Currently, there are concerns following reports about Zaman’s potential exclusion from the team due to internal decisions within the PCB, largely revolving around his support for captain Babar Azam.
Negotiations leading up to this tournament have been extensive, particularly following the long-standing governance issues between India and Pakistan. The ICC's decisions reflect efforts to balance competitive integrity with the geopolitical realities surrounding international cricket. Naqvi noted, “We are dedicated to ensuring this tournament will be memorable for players, officials, and fans alike.”
With reserve days allocated for semifinals and the final scheduled for March 9, 2025, cricket fans are anticipating this pivotal tournament, which aims to unite teams and spectators by showcasing the spirit of cricket through collaboration and equality.
