The Champions Trophy next year would be played in a hybrid model, Rashid Latif has claimed. According to the former Pakistan captain, an agreement has been reached through back-channel negotiations between the BCCI, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) that the Indian team will not travel to Pakistan and will play their matches elsewhere, likely in Dubai.
“It feels like they (the ICC and the two boards) have decided on a hybrid model,” Latif told RevSportz. “The PCB will not lose the hosting rights, but India will play their matches in a second country. A semi-final and the final would be played there as well, if India qualify.”
The Champions Trophy, an eight-team ODI event, has been slotted for February-March next year, but the BCCI has refused to send the Indian team to Pakistan after being denied approval from the Indian government due to security reasons. The ICC Board will meet on Friday to take a call on how the tournament will be played.
Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, remains firm on hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan. Asked about this, Latif said: “If I were the PCB chairman, I would have said the same thing. Same thing happened to the Asia Cup last year and eventually, the tournament was played in a hybrid model (India playing their matches in Sri Lanka), with the PCB retaining the hosting rights.”
The ex-Pakistan skipper added: “The PCB will get around $64-65 million from the ICC as the (Champions Trophy) hosting fee. There might well be added financial incentives if they agree to the hybrid model. I don’t think Pakistan cricket would like to lose that. I expect an announcement from the ICC and the PCB in this regard soon.”
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Hybrid model for Champions Trophy… Waiting for PCB and ICC announcement. pic.twitter.com/NBRBS8dgSS
— Rashid Latif | 🇵🇰 (@iRashidLatif68) November 26, 2024
Earlier, Latif had posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Hybrid model for Champions Trophy… Waiting for PCB and ICC announcement.”
His observation comes in the wake of the postponement of the ‘A’ series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka due to political unrest in Islamabad. “The Pakistan Cricket Board, in consultation with Sri Lanka Cricket, has postponed the last two 50-over matches of the Pakistan Shaheens-Sri Lanka ‘A’ series due to a political activity in the federal capital,” the PCB said in a release on Tuesday.
It added: “The last two matches were scheduled for Wednesday and Friday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Both boards will collaborate to finalise new dates to complete the series.”
As regards the Champions Trophy and the ICC meeting, the board of the game’s governing body comprises 12 Full Member countries, three members from Associates and an independent director. The ICC chairman and chief executive are also part of it. RevSportz understands that things could be resolved through consensus rather than through voting.
Also Read: Champions Trophy: Pakistan may attempt political solution to resolve impasse