On Thursday, the impasse over the hosting of the Champions Trophy was finally resolved when the ICC declared that India would play their matches of the 50-over event at a neutral venue.
Dubai has been selected as the neutral venue to host India’s matches in the Champions Trophy, with the semi-final and final also scheduled to take place in the UAE if Rohit Sharma and his team qualify for the knockouts. A reliable source from the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed that Dubai was chosen as the neutral venue following a meeting between PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak on Saturday night. Sheikh Nahyan, who is currently vacationing in the region of Sindh, and Naqvi, who is also the country’s interior minister, met to finalize the logistical and administrative arrangements for the mega-event hosted by Pakistan.
The ICC is now expected to reveal the final schedule for the event, with Pakistan set to host 9 to 10 matches.
The final will be held in Lahore if India does not qualify, according to the source.
The hybrid arrangement will be implemented for the Champions Trophy 2025 (Pakistan), next year’s Women’s Cricket World Cup in India, and the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
India had declined to travel to Pakistan for the event scheduled in February-March due to security concerns.
India has not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which claimed 150 lives. The two countries’ last bilateral series took place in 2012.
Traveling to Pakistan also requires clearance from the Indian government, which has maintained its firm position on the status quo.
While the BCCI’s stance was always clear, the issue was prolonged due to PCB’s refusal to accept a “one-sided” arrangement of neutral venues.
Led by Naqvi, the PCB was determined to maintain its standing in front of the local public.
The PCB, which had sent its team to India for the ODI World Cup last year, had firmly opposed the hybrid model but eventually consented to it on reciprocal terms.