No consensus at ICC meeting, Pakistan firm on Champions Trophy stance: Sources

Champions Trophy: No consensus was reached between the parties in a brief meeting of the ICC Board on Friday. Pakistan remained firm on its stance to not host the tournament in a hybrid model.

In Short

• In a brief meeting on Friday, no consensus was reached
• The ICC Board will reconvene in the next few days to discuss the deadlock
• ICC has delayed announcing the schedule after India refused to travel to Pakistan

No consensus was reached at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Board meeting held on Friday to decide the fate of the Champions Trophy. All parties will continue to work towards finding a positive resolution with the Board set to reconvene in the next few days, India Today has learnt.

The meeting, which began at 4 PM IST, was brief and attended by 12 full ICC members, three associate members, and the ICC Chair, making a total of 16 voting members.

"The Board did meet briefly today. All parties continue to work towards a positive resolution for the Champions Trophy 2025, and it is expected that the Board will reconvene in the next few days," a source said.

Pakistan reportedly remained firm in its stance of not agreeing to a hybrid model, which would see India's matches held at a neutral venue. India has refused to travel to Pakistan, citing security concerns.

The ICC has been working to finalise the schedule and venue for the Champions Trophy. With less than three months remaining until the tournament's scheduled start, the ICC has yet to announce the fixtures, leading to delays.

Pakistan was awarded the hosting rights for the Champions Trophy 2025 in November 2021 and the PCB began work on renovating three of its stadiums earlier in the year.

However, India's refusal to travel to Pakistan for the marquee eight-team tournament led to an impasse. The BCCI, in its letter to the ICC, cited security reasons for their refusal to send the senior national men's team to Pakistan.

Hours before the ICC Board meeting, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla confirmed the Indian government's stance, stressing that players' safety will be of the utmost importance for India.

"Our discussions are going on. A decision will be taken after looking at the situation. Our top priority is the safety of the players. Hybrid mode is also an option; discussions are going on," he said.

PCB REMAIN FIRM IN STANCE

The PCB had demanded a written explanation from the BCCI and even offered to ease security fears, stressing that it was not willing to accept a hybrid model, which would allow India to play their matches at a neutral venue.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, as recently on Wednesday, reiterated that Pakistan would not agree to a hybrid model.

Naqvi's comments came even as Sri Lanka’s A team, touring Pakistan, was forced to cut short its series due to violent political protests in Islamabad. These protests, sparked by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s political party, raised serious concerns about security in the country, making it clear that Pakistan’s ability to host international cricket might be at risk.

Earlier in the month, India Today reported that backchannel talks were on to convince Pakistan to agree to the hybrid model. Sources revealed that the PCB was under pressure to adopt a hybrid model following the BCCI’s firm stance on not travelling to Pakistan. During these discussions, the PCB was reminded of the financial consequences of not accommodating India’s concerns.