Pakistan to host Champions Trophy in 2025

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been awarded the hosting right of the 2025 Champions Trophy as the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced fourteen host nations for the white-ball events from 2024-2031.

Pakistan has been picked as a sole host of the Champions Trophy that will be the first after the 2017 edition which Pakistan won after defeating India in the final.

In 2025, Pakistan will be defending its title to be held following the gap of eight years. Champions Trophy was earlier allotted to Pakistan in 2008 but was shifted to South Africa months before the dates due to security concerns. South Africa ultimately hosted the event in 2009.

The 2025 Champions Trophy will be the first international mega cricketing event the country will be hosting since the 1996 ODI World Cup (as a co-host). The 15-match tournament will be held at three iconic venues in February 2025.

Delighted Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja said: “I am pleased no-end with the ICC’s decision to select Pakistan as a host nation for one of their elite tournaments. By allocating a major global event to Pakistan, the ICC has expressed complete confidence and faith in our management and operational capabilities and skills.

“We have continued to demonstrate how great a host we are and through the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, we will again showcase our passion and love for the sport as this event will be a boon to the millions of home fans, who will see world class teams and their favourite international players from close quarters.

“We not only endeavour to plan and deliver a world-class event, we will also prepare and field a strong and formidable side that can perform and entertain our home fans. We saw during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign how the nation got united and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at home will be another opportunity to further strengthen that bond as we defend the title.”

Eleven full members and three Associate Members have been selected to host two ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups, four ICC Men’s T20 World Cups and two ICC Men’s Champions Trophy events.

The USA and Namibia will host an ICC World Cup event for the first time. Whilst Australia, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe have previously staged major events and will do so again over the next decade.

The hosts were selected via a competitive bidding process overseen by a Board sub-committee chaired by Martin Snedden along with Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Skerritt. The ICC Board accepted the recommendations of the committee who conducted a thorough review of each bid along with ICC management. A similar process to identify the hosts for ICC Women’s and U19s events for the next cycle will be undertaken early next year.

ICC Chair Greg Barclay said: “We are delighted to have concluded this competitive bidding process for the first time for ICC events. To have 14 Members hosting 8 events is a reflection of the truly global nature of our sport and I’d like to thank every Member that submitted a bid and offer our congratulations to the successful bidders.