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The Champions Trophy 2025 which is slated to be staged by Pakistan from February to March next year, faces uncertainty due to Team India's reluctance to play in the country. The possibility of relocating India's matches to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been widely discussed in the media.
ECB worried about Champions Trophy 2025's uncertain fate
The tournament's format and schedule remain uncertain, and even the final may be moved from Pakistan if India qualify. The lack of clarity surrounding Champions Trophy 2025, has caused concerns for other cricket boards, especially the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Richard Gould, the ECB's chief executive, has stated that a Champions Trophy without India or Pakistan would not be financially sustainable.
"(Play) without India? I wouldn't have thought so. If you play the Champions Trophy without India or Pakistan, the broadcast rights aren't there, and we need to protect them. It would not be in cricket's interests for India not to be playing in the Champions Trophy. We're all waiting to understand whether India are going to travel," said Gould in a chat with belfasttelegraph.
"That's the key. I know Pakistan are expecting India to travel but there are lots of different alternatives and contingencies available if that doesn't happen.
"Hopefully we can have the fullest possible competition in Pakistan, this is a big moment for the country. If that's not possible, we know there are options available. "There's geopolitics and then there's cricketing geopolitics. I think they'll find a way. They have to find a way. There are always security concerns in this part of the world when those two countries play each other. That will probably drive the key decisions," he added.
Meanwhile, ECB chairman Richard Thompson expressed concern that cricket would suffer if India did not participate in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. While he acknowledged the existing security challenges between India and Pakistan, Thompson emphasised the need to find a solution to ensure the tournament's success.
"It would not be in cricket's interests for India not to be playing in the Champions Trophy. It's interesting, with Jay Shah - the former secretary of the BCCI and now chair of the ICC - [who] is going to have a big role to play in that. There's geopolitics, and then there's cricketing geopolitics. I think they'll find a way. They have to find a way," Thompson said.
"There are always security concerns in this part of the world when those two countries play each other. That will probably drive the key decisions. But I know relationships between the two countries are as amicable as they can be at the moment: we saw it play out at the [men's T20] World Cup in New York," he added.
PCB is committed to host Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan
The PCB remains committed to hosting the entire Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Although the official schedule has not been released, a draft schedule has been proposed, suggesting the tournament will take place in February and March. All of India's matches are planned to be held in Lahore. Due to ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, the BCCI did not send a team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup last year. As a result, the tournament was held in a hybrid format, with India's matches being played in Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Pakistan participated in the ODI World Cup 2023 in India but failed to qualify for the semifinals.
Notably, a total of eight teams will participate in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. Pakistan , Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand and South Africa will vie with each other for the coveted trophy.
