The International Cricket Council (ICC) has agreed to provide support of USD 70 million for hosting the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in February 2025.
One of the close sources to the ICC said that the committee is responsible for finances and trade within the World Cricket Organization, led by the BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who had scrutinized and agreed with the budget. This budget was compiled and presented together by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the finance department of ICC. Furthermore, the source stated that only 4.5 million USD was separately allocated as an additional expense.
Jay Shah, who is also the head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) confirmed that the Asia Cup 2025 will be hosted by India in T20 format and the 2027 edition in 50-over format hosted by Bangladesh.
During the previous ICC meeting, the approval of the overall budget and extra expenses led to huge speculations. Few people believe that these additional amounts were set aside if India refused to send its players to Pakistan. If such happens, then a few matches might require to be shifted to different locations, and the extra funds would be used to manage the changes.
USD 4.5 Million Insufficient to Relocate ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Matches
The sources said that the additional funds of USD 4.5 million are considered to be insufficient when compared to the total budget. This amount wouldn’t be sufficient to subsidize the costs related to the matches relocating from Pakistan to other venues, as the change might be required under certain situations. As a result, the budget could be more than expected to manage such circumstances effectively.
Moreover, the source clarified that despite issues like confusion, last-minute shifts in venues, and additional budget during the tournament, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) was still able to make a lucrative amount of profit from the Asia Cup 2023. The tournament was hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka and the source confirmed that the huge profit was generated because of the matches between India and Pakistan.
India-Pakistan Clash in the Next Editions of the Asia Cup
According to the latest reports, India and Pakistan could lock horns against each other in the same group and could play for the second time in the same edition of the tournament in the super four stages. Possibly, a third match could be played between these two sides if they manage to reach the finals.
India’s Participation in ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Currently, India’s participation in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 seems to be uncertain as the BCCI has yet to receive approval from the Indian government to visit Pakistan. However, the present situation raises uncertainty about whether Pakistan will be able to host the 2025 Champions Trophy or will the tournament be hosted in a hybrid mode due to the Indo-Pak political tensions.
Since the Asia Cup 2008, India hasn’t traveled to Pakistan due to the terror attacks in Mumbai on 26th November 2008.
In contrast, Pakistan cricketers visited India four times in the last 16 years, which includes their recent appearance in the Men’s World Cup 2023.
Also, the PCB has decided not to share any information about India’s participation in the Champions Trophy. The chairman Mohsin Naqvi instructed his colleagues and staff members not to give any official statements regarding India’s decision to take part in the tournament.
Conclusion:
Possibly, BCCI is not ready to send the Indian cricket team to Pakistan, which could suggest a hybrid model similar to the previous year’s Asia Cup. This could result in a few matches being played in Pakistan while all the matches of Team India might be scheduled at a neutral venue such as the UAE or Sri Lanka.
It was shocking to know that despite the uncertainty prevailing around India’s participation in the Champions Trophy, the ICC has approved a USD 70 million budget to host the tournament in Pakistan. Mainly, this decision was taken after a careful review of the budget by Jay Shah’s led ICC’s financial and commercial committee.
However, Team India is desperate to win another ICC trophy under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy after clinching the T20 World Cup 2024 trophy. If the tournament is held completely in Pakistan and a competitive team like India refuses to travel, then the mega event could turn out to be completely lackluster. Reacting to the speculations, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla confirmed that the men-in-blue would only visit Pakistan to participate in the Champions Trophy 2025 if the government of India allows the team to the country