A ‘hybrid model’ to host next year’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan remains an option as India’s participation cannot be decided by the ICC if there is a government policy against it, a source in the governing body’s all-powerful executive board told PTI on Friday.
The ICC board meeting is currently underway in Dubai.
The Champions Trophy, which will be held in February-March 2025, is not on the agenda but newly-elected PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has stated that he wants to speak with his BCCI counterpart Jay Shah as well as ICC bigwigs on the sidelines, seeking some kind of assurance.
However, an ICC Board member, who is privy to the developments, feels that any decision by BCCI, will only be taken closer to the tournament and once again, the idea of using UAE as a potential venue cannot be entirely discarded.
“Every member can raise concerns for discussion at Board meetings and then it would go to a vote. But if the government (of a member nation) expressly say that they can’t play there, ICC would need to look for an alternative,” a veteran administrator, who has attended multiple board meetings, told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
“….because ICC Board’s position remains that it doesn’t expect its members to go against any policy/instructions issued by its own government,” he said.
Teams from England, Australia, New Zealand have all travelled to Pakistan in recent past and the BCCI will also be under pressure to visit the strife-torn country for the multi-nation engagement.
Asked if any hesitation from India would lead to a vote against the country, the source said such a situation would not arise if there is a government directive.
“Don’t forget threat perception for an Indian cricket team would always be higher compared to Australia, England and New Zealand,” said a former BCCI office-bearer, who is aware of the inner workings of the global body.
Will diplomacy work?
In January-February, the Indian Davis Cup team was in Islamabad for its World Group Play-off tie and the players as well as the support staff were satisfied with the security arrangements.
However, the stakes are considerably higher when it comes to the Indian cricket team featuring superstars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant.
“The BCCI would obviously be compelled to look at it from the point of view that Pakistan government allowed its team to play in the World Cup in India last year.
“So, this being a global event and not a continental one like Asia Cup, the Indian government might take a softer stance. BCCI president Roger Binny and VP Rajiv Shukla had travelled to Pakistan during the Asia Cup,” hoped the ICC board member.
Hybrid model
The Champions Trophy, which originally started in 1998 as the ‘Mini World Cup’, is played between top eight teams in the ICC ODI Rankings. The last edition was held in 2017 in England and Wales and in the interim, ICC couldn’t fit the tournament in an already packed calender for top cricket boards, who also now own lucrative T20 leagues.
In 2023, after the Indian government didn’t allow its team to travel to Pakistan, it was held in ‘Hybrid Model’ with India playing all their matches, including both against Pakistan, in Sri Lanka.
With February and March being two ideal months to play cricket in the UAE and three international stadiums ready for use, it could well be the second country in a ‘Hybrid Model’ in case India doesn’t want to travel to Pakistan.
The eight teams are expected to be divided into two groups and India’s group matches could well be held in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.