The International Cricket Council (ICC) board meeting, scheduled to discuss the future of the 2025 Champions Trophy today (Thursday), was postponed once again due to continued disagreements, particularly stemming from India.
PCB Chairman, Najam Sethi, had traveled to Dubai for the meeting, but the deadlock remained unresolved due to India’s firm stance on the issue.
The meeting, which was expected to be an introductory session under new ICC chairman Jay Shah, had raised hopes of significant discussions regarding the Champions Trophy’s schedule and other key matters.
However, sources suggest that no decisions were made, particularly on scheduling, as Indian reluctance to participate or engage in partnership agreements was evident.
Despite expectations for a resolution, the meeting was unable to address the crucial points, further complicating the future of the Champions Trophy 2025.
Recently, the PCB had reportedly agreed to the BCCI’s proposal for a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy, where India’s matches would be played in Dubai. However, the situation took a turn when the PCB demanded that the hybrid model be applied to all ICC events scheduled in India until 2031.
This included high-profile tournaments such as the Women’s ODI World Cup in 2025, the T20 World Cup in 2026 (co-hosted with Sri Lanka), the 2029 Champions Trophy, and the 2031 ODI World Cup.
According to a report from The Telegraph India, the BCCI had rejected the PCB’s conditions, stating that a hybrid model was unnecessary for ICC events held in India, citing the absence of any security threat in the country.
“Sources had told The Telegraph that the BCCI had sent a clear message to the ICC brass in this regard, leading to a fresh impasse. The BCCI’s contention was simple – there was no security threat in India, and hence no question of accepting such an arrangement,” the report stated.
The Indian board had conveyed this stance to the International Cricket Council (ICC), leading to a fresh impasse in negotiations.
Recently, PCB officials had met ICC top executives in Dubai, while PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi had discussed the issue with BCCI Secretary Jay Shah via video call. During these discussions, the PCB had proposed a “Partnership or Fusion Formula.”
Under this arrangement, teams from both nations would play their matches at a neutral venue, Dubai, for all ICC events hosted by either country over the next three years. The proposal aimed to establish fairness and resolve longstanding tensions.
Historically, the PCB had been cautious about deals with the BCCI. During the Big Three negotiations, the BCCI had promised mutual cooperation but later reneged on these assurances. Learning from this, the PCB had sought ICC involvement for any formal agreements.
