The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 could be shifted to South Africa, reports said today, following India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan which was originally scheduled to host the mega tournament from Feb 19 to March 9.
The BCCI has already written to the ICC refusing to send the Men in Blue to Pakistan over security concerns.
The BCCI said the Indian team will not visit Pakistan for the tournament and is willing to play in a “hybrid model” in which it will play its games in the UAE, a neutral venue, while the final of the tournament should be shifted to Dubai.
“Unless the PCB decides to pull out of hosting the Champions Trophy the current plan is to hold India’s matches in UAE and the final in Dubai,” a source close to the development was quoted as saying by PTI on Monday.
The report in PTI also mentioned that ICC has asked the PCB if a Hybrid Model is acceptable to them.
The PTI report also stated that if PCB withdraws from hosting the tournament due to BCCI’s stance, the ICC would consider moving the entire tournament to South Africa.