NEW DELHI: After a month of backand-forth discussions on the ICC Champions Trophy venue, hosts Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday climbed down to agreeing to a hybrid model in which India will play their matches in Dubai in Feb-March.
However, TOI understands that the PCB has put across a few demands before the International Cricket Council (ICC) while paying heed to Indian cricket board’s (BCCI) decision to not play India’s matches in Pakistan due to security reasons.
Sources said that the PCB has asked for a hybrid-for-hybrid solution to subsequent ICC tournaments to be played in India till 2031.
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Incidentally, India is supposed to host three men’s ICC tournaments and one women’s ICC World Cup in this period. India will co-host the T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka in 2026 and Bangladesh will be co-hosts for the ODI World Cup in 2031. The ICC Champions Trophy in 2029 will be solely hosted by India. The women’s World Cup is due to be held in 2025.
“Cricket should win, that’s most important but with respect for all. We are going to do what’s best for cricket. Whichever formula we go for, it would be on equal terms,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi responded to a query if they have agreed to the hybrid model and thought of boycotting travel to India in future.
“My effort is to ensure that there is no one-sided system. It shouldn’t be that we travel to India and they don’t come to our country. The idea is to settle it once and for all on equal terms,” he added.
TOI has learnt that PCB has also suggested a bigger share from ICC revenue as a compensation. Currently, BCCI gets 38 per cent of ICC revenue share while PCB gets less than six per cent.
However, it is learnt that ICC had offered a compensation value over and above the hosting fees. It is unlikely that the ICC will agree on increasing PCB’s revenue share just on account of agreeing to hybrid model.
Other countries’ boards will not agree to cutting their share and it would have to borne by BCCI alone. ICC sources told TOI that BCCI and ICC were firm on their stand to play the Champions Trophy in a hybrid model or PCB would be in danger of losing the hosting rights altogether. BCCI has not committed to any of the demands yet.
It is expected that the schedule for the tournament will be worked out in the coming week. BCCI’s incumbent secretary Jay Shah is due to take charge of ICC as its independent chairman from Dec 1.
BCCI wanted this matter to be resolved before Shah assumed office at the ICC. With India co-hosting the two men’s World Cups, Pakistan is most likely to play their matches in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The final of the tournaments are set to be played in India. A call on the women’s World Cup and the next Champions Trophy will be taken in due course.