The International Cricket Council (ICC) is currently evaluating three options for the hosting of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, originally scheduled to take place in Pakistan starting February 2025.
Although Pakistan currently retains the hosting rights, uncertainties regarding India’s participation have prompted these considerations.
Here are the three primary options being explored:
Full Tournament in Pakistan: This would proceed with the tournament as planned, entirely within Pakistan.
Hybrid Model: In this scenario, most matches would still take place in Pakistan, but games involving India, as well as the knockout stages (semi-finals and finals), would be held in Dubai.
Complete Relocation: Should the tournament be moved entirely, potential host countries include Dubai, Sri Lanka, or South Africa.
This uncertainty stems from the fact that India has not visited Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup, due to ongoing political tensions, while Pakistan has made several trips to India for various series and tournaments.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that Pakistan has not hosted a major ICC event since the 1996 ODI World Cup, which it co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka. Plans for Pakistan to co-host the 2011 World Cup were scrapped following a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009.
The ICC is expected to make a final decision regarding the tournament’s location by mid-November 2024.
