ICC Champions Trophy: Promo is out, but where are the fixtures?

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025, being revived after a gap of eight years, continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. With 70 days to go before the marquee ODI tournament gets under way on 19 February, 2025, broadcasters Star Sports released a promo featuring some of the stars in fray on Monday – but without any mention of Pakistan as the host nation.

 The caption for the video shared on social media states: ‘’Gear up for heart-pounding cricket action as the ICC Champions Trophy returns in 2025! #ChampionsTrophyOnStar.’’

 Meanwhile, fixtures of the three-week event are yet to be released despite the BCCI and PCB agreeing ‘in principle’ to adopt the hybrid mode last week – whereby India and Pakistan will not be playing on each other’s country in the ICC events at least till 2027. The deadline for reaching a final decision has kept getting pushed back repeatedly, with the world governing body’s silence on the issue not helping matters for a clarity on the situation.

It is common knowledge that the ICC had dropped the ball on BCCI and PCB’s court to sort things out. Jay Shah, the BCCI strongman who took over as ICC chairman this month and Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Interior Minister of Pakistan, met on the sidelines of an ICC Board meeting in Dubai last week to resolve the impasse with India refusing to travel to Pakistan for ‘security concern.’

Pakistan, which had been initially reluctant about hosting the tournament on a hybrid mode, agreed conditionally that they would also not be playing on Indian soil in ICC events (till 2027). Informed sources say that the reason for further delay on the fixtures is that PCB is now demanding a written assurance from the ICC on the hybrid model for future ICC tournaments – something which can see them scoring some brownie points – but BCCI are unlikely to abide by the request.

Adding to the intrigue is Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif entering the fray as he has assured full support to the PCB on hosting the event, emphasizing that the country’s ‘self-respect’ must be upheld. Pakistan was initially loathe to the idea of hosting the tournament in a hybrid model and had even threatened to boycott the event should it be moved out of their country.

Clear picture tomorrow?

 The Indian media has now floated 11^th December (Wednesday) as the new deadline for a clear picture to emerge which will see India playing their three league games, including the marquee India-Pakistan game, in Dubai – and then the semi-final and final as well if they qualify. However, both semi-finals and final will be held in Pakistan if India exit in the group stages along with the remaining 10 matches across three cities – Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi where the PCB has invested heavily from their hosting fees for a makeover of the stadia.

 There could, meanwhile, be another twist in the tale with sources suggesting that BCCI are now pushing for Sri Lanka at the last moment – instead of UAE – as their neutral venue. ‘’There has been silence from PCB’s side as well ever since the chairman announced a postponement of last Saturday’s meeting,’’ sources said in Pakistan.

Last year, Pakistan hosted the Men’s 50-over Asia Cup in a hybrid model after India refused to travel to the country. India played all their matches of the tournament in Colombo including the semi-final and final, which they won.