The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced a massive rule change in matches involving India and Pakistan at all ICC events in the current rights cycle from 2024 to 2027. The changes will be applicable to ICC tournaments to be hosted by India or Pakistan in this cycle.
According to the new rule, India vs Pakistan matches will be held at a ‘neutral venue’ in all ICC events hosted by India or Pakistan from 2024 to 2027. It applies to tournaments like ICC Champions Trophy 2025, ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 and ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
“The ICC Board has today approved that matches between India and Pakistan played at ICC Events during the current rights cycle from 2024 to 2027 (which are to be hosted in India or Pakistan) will be played at a neutral venue proposed by the tournament host. This will apply to the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (Pakistan), ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (India and Sri Lanka),” a statement by ICC read.
JUST IN: ICC issues update on Champions Trophy 2025 venue.
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— ICC (@ICC) December 19, 2024
The rule change has been necessitated due to deadlock between BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over ICC Champions Trophy 2025 over India’s refusal to travel to the neighbouring country for tournament next year. After BCCI’s refusal, the PCB put the condition that all India vs Pakistan be held in neutral venue going forward.
“In addition, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been awarded hosting rights of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where neutral venue arrangements will also apply. Cricket Australia has also been awarded hosting rights for one of the senior ICC women’s events during the period 2029 to 2031,” the ICC statement added.
However, the much-delayed match schedule for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 will be confirmed in the coming days.
However, the much-delayed match schedule for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 will be confirmed in the coming days. The tournament is set to start in exactly 2 months time on February 19, however, no schedule of matches has been announced yet.
The ICC have already cancelled the announcement of the Champions Trophy 2025 schedule a couple of times due to the deadlock between India and Pakistan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had insisted that the Champions Trophy 2025, hosted by Pakistan, should be organised with a ‘hybrid’ model with India’s matches as well as one semifinal and the final to take place in Dubai.
Now with ICC board’s new ruling, all future ICC events in India and Pakistan will have a ‘hybrid’ model going forward. While India will play their matches at a neutral venue in tournaments hosted by Pakistan, the latter will be playing their matches at neutral venues in tournaments hosted by the Indians.
It remains to be seen how the TV broadcasters will react to this rule change, considering they had paid the ICC believing that the matches in the ICC women’s World Cup 2025 and ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2026 would be hosted at Indian venues.
