According to reports in Indian media, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is looking at contingency plans regarding the hosting of the Champions Trophy 2025.
Earlier, it was reported that the ICC has explored the option to move India’s matches in the UAE in case the Men in Blue are not allowed to travel to Pakistan by their Government.
The latest reports have now revealed that the ICC has also prepared a contingency plan to move the entire Champions Trophy out of Pakistan with South Africa, Sri Lanka and UAE explored as potential venues.
Sources have revealed that the ICC has taken this step after the BCCI’s reluctance to send the Indian team to their neighbouring country. The budgets for all three plans have been devised by the ICC as the dates for the Champions Trophy 2025 approach.
Pakistan was announced as the host of the mega-event back in 2021 and ever since then, there have been multiple reports that the tournament will not be held in the country. Meanwhile, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi has stated multiple times that the entire tournament will be held in the country and all the participating teams will tour for the mega-event.
Preparations are already underway in Pakistan, with Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi undergoing renovations.
The latest updates come as a surprise and can cause a massive blow to the PCB and Pakistan Cricket as a whole. The tournament originally is set to be played between 19 February to 9 March in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi.
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