The confusion surrounding the venue of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is over. After months of delay, the International Cricket Council (ICC) finally officially declared the venues for the elite event. “ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 to be played across Pakistan and a neutral venue,” the ICC said in a statement. It means India will play its matches in a neutral venue, including the knockout games (if it qualifies). In another major decision, the Jay Shah-led world body has declared that all India vs Pakistan cricket matches in ICC events, hosted by the two countries, will be played at neutral venues till 2027.
“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 ICC Board confirmed on Thursday, 19 December,” the statement said.
“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 ‘compromise’ on the part of the ICC means that for the first time, the Indian cricket team will have to move out from its own country to play Pakistan in an ICC event, despite being the host or co-host. For a country that boasts itself to be a cricket power-house, that might hurt.
India and Pakistan have played each other only in ICC or Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events in more than a decade now. In this duration, whenever Pakistan has hosted an ICC or ACC event, India did not travel to the country and played its matches at a neutral venue.
India last toured Pakistan for a bilateral series in 2005-06. Pakistan last toured India for a bilateral series in 2012-13.
There was a long impasse surrounding the hosting venue of the 2025 Champions Trophy. The problem started after the BCCI said that it would not be sending the Indian cricket team to Pakistan, the designated hosts of the Champions Trophy, upon not receiving any clearance from the Indian government. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) then fumed and was not ready to accept a hybrid model of hosting.
Then they said that the same ‘hybrid model’ would have to be adopted when India hosts an ICC event. It took a long time to come to the compromise, but now a middle-ground has been reached.
The ICC also awarded the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028 hosting rights to Pakistan.
“It was also announced that the PCB has been awarded hosting rights of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where neutral venue arrangements will also apply. Cricket Australia is set to host one of the senior ICC women’s events during the period 2029 to 2031,” the ICC said in a release.
“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. The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, and South Africa, alongside hosts Pakistan.”
