Champions Trophy 2025
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has put its team’s match against arch-rivals India on March 1 next year in the tentative schedule of the Champions Trophy, but the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is yet to give its consent to it.
A senior member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) board gave this information to PTI on Wednesday. The tournament will be played from February 19 to March 9 next year, with March 10 being a ‘reserve day’. It is learned that PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has submitted the 15-match schedule in which India’s matches have been kept in Lahore due to security and ‘logistical’ reasons.
Naqvi was invited to Barbados to watch the T20 World Cup final. The ICC board member said, “PCB has submitted the draft of the 15-match schedule of the ICC Champions Trophy in which seven matches have been kept in Lahore, three matches in Karachi and five matches in Rawalpindi.” The source said, “The first match has been kept in Karachi while the two semi-finals will be held in Karachi and Rawalpindi while the final will be held in Lahore. All the matches of India (including the semi-final in case the team qualifies) have been kept in Lahore.”
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India has been placed in Group A along with Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand. Group B includes Australia, South Africa, England and Afghanistan.
Recently, ICC tournament chief Chris Tetley met PCB chairman Naqvi in Islamabad. Earlier, the security team of the world body inspected the venue and other arrangements.
The last time Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup in 2023 as per the ‘hybrid model’, India played its matches in Sri Lanka as the government did not allow players to travel across the border. The source said, “All the board heads (other than BCCI) of the participating countries of the ICC Champions Trophy have given full support but the BCCI will update the ICC after consulting the government. “At the same time, the ICC cannot force any board to go against the policy of its government, so it will be interesting to see when the BCCI decides in this matter.