ICC assurance paves way for Champions Trophy hybrid model

ISLAMABAD: Stakeholders finally agreed on the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 model, paving the way for the official announcement, which is now expected within the next few days.

The deal was struck on the ICC and leading cricketing board’s assurance rather than the written undertaking by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on the reciprocal hybrid model.

The News has learnt that India’s reluctance to furnish written assurance continued when the ICC and other leading cricketing boards assured Pakistan during an informal Board meeting that the PCB would be free to follow the hybrid model for all the World Cup T20 2026 League matches. The Indian media maintains that Pakistan has accepted playing the WC T20 2026 final in India, a claim that a PCB official rejects.

“It is not like that. The hybrid model will be the same as was agreed during Mohsin Naqvi and Jay Shah’s meeting held in Dubai recently,” he said.

Other details surfaced from the informal ICC Board meeting, including that Pakistan would not ask for any financial compensation for organising Indian Champions Trophy 2026 matches in Dubai but would be compensated by allotting a major women’s event after 2027. According to details available with The News, India will play at least three of the Champions Trophy 2025 group matches in the UAE, including the epic Pakistan-India clash at the Dubai Sports City Stadium. The Men in Blue will also face Bangladesh and New Zealand in the UAE. If India progresses to the semi-finals and final, these matches will also be hosted in the UAE even if Pakistan will be their opponents in the final. Meanwhile, Pakistan will host all non-India matches from their group and other groups, along with any semis and the final if India fails to qualify. A similar hybrid format will be adopted for the 2026 T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Pakistan will play all their group-stage matches including semis in Sri Lanka. However, contrasting news on the venue has emerged for the 2026 T20 World Cup final in case Pakistan will be there. The ICC Board is expected to greenlight the Champions Trophy schedule within the next few days. “It’s a reciprocal hybrid model ensuring no winners or losers — truly a win-win for both nations,” an ICC insider revealed. When ICC Media and Communication Manager C. Rajshekhar Rao was contacted, he said discussions were still ongoing. “Any final decision will be communicated through the ICC release.” Despite hurdles, the agreements signal a step forward.