The International Cricket Council (ICC) has canceled a major event related to next year’s Champions Trophy due to ongoing issues with the scheduling, particularly regarding India‘s matches. The ICC had planned to announce the schedule on Monday (November 11) in Lahore, but this has now been called off.
An official confirmed the cancellation after India refused to travel to Pakistan for the eight-team 50-over event. ICC did not respond to repeated inquiries.
“The schedule is not confirmed, we are still in discussions with the host and participating nations on the Champions Trophy schedule. Once confirmed we will announce through our normal channels”.
The ICC had planned detailed arrangements for the event, marking the 100-day countdown to the February 19-March 19 championship, but scheduling issues have caused complications. There’s a possibility the ICC might cite Lahore’s severe smog as a reason, according to at least one official.
“It was just a trophy tour kickoff and a tournament/branding launch,” an official said, downplaying the controversy around the schedule and the canceled event on November 11.
“The event is still being planned, but it may be rescheduled due to the current difficulty of outdoor activities in Lahore.” A source from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed no event was scheduled for Monday.
The ICC and PCB will likely adopt a hybrid model, with some matches hosted outside Pakistan, possibly in the UAE. While India’s travel to Pakistan was uncertain, the ICC’s handling of the situation is under scrutiny.
In a recent board meeting, the ICC announced the schedule for November 11, but it’s unclear if all stakeholders were consulted, with recent developments suggesting they were not.
India will not be traveling to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy
After the board meeting, the BCCI officially informed the ICC that it had not received approval from the Indian government to travel to Pakistan. The PCB, however, claims it has not received any communication from either the ICC or the BCCI.
“We have a clear stance that they must give it to us in writing if they [the Indian cricket board] have any issues. Till today, we have not spoken about any hybrid model, but we’re ready to speak on this,” Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, told reporters in Lahore recently.
“Now, if Indian media is reporting this, then there must be some letter the ICC will give us, or the Indian Board might have written this somewhere. Till now, no such letter has reached me or the PCB,” he said.
The ICC and PCB will inevitably have to adopt a hybrid model, with the UAE hosting as the secondary venue, and all of India’s matches being played in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
India was initially scheduled to face Bangladesh on February 20, New Zealand on February 23, and Pakistan on March 1, all in Lahore. The PCB had designated Rawalpindi, Karachi, and Lahore for the event, but venue changes — if not date adjustments — are now likely for the 15-match competition.
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