Former all-rounder Yusuf Pathan, member of India’s triumphant 2011 World Cup team and of the T20 World Cup winning team in 2007, sided with BCCI’s decision not to send the Indian team to Pakistan for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy. India has maintained its position that it will not send the team across the border for the marquee event scheduled to be held early next year. “It is welcome for Indian cricket board that they might think for the safety and also interest of its players,” said Yusuf, hailing the decision. “BCCI always thinks about the players and their safety. So whatever BCCI does is in the interest of the players and the nation,” Pathan told ANI. While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) insisted on having the tournament entirely hosted in Pakistan, the recent developments have shown that the deadlock was finally broken.
According to recent happenings, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and PCB have reported an in-principle agreement about adopting a hybrid model for global tournaments to be hosted in either country, that is, Pakistan or India till 2027.
This model enables both nations to play their games at ICC tournaments hosted by one another at a neutral venue. While sources have confirmed this agreement to ESPNcricinfo, the PCB, which is the host of the 2025 Champions Trophy, has not made any public announcement, only stating that discussions are continuing.
It is still not clear whether or not the hybrid model will apply to men’s and women’s tournaments. The current commercial cycle of the ICC (2024-27) has three global events slated to be hosted in either country – the Champions Trophy in February 2025 in Pakistan, the women’s ODI World Cup in India later in 2025, and the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
As per ESPNcricinfo, it was reportedly said that the agreement was reached following a meeting between new ICC Chair Jay Shah and PCB chairman Mohsin Naq
