Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has strongly criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for allegedly agreeing to the hybrid model for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, claiming the deal was finalized well before the board publicly announced its acceptance.
Under the hybrid arrangement, India will likely play all their matches in the UAE, while the rest of the tournament will take place in Pakistan. This decision followed the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) stance that their government would not permit the team to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has also allegedly backed the proposal, citing ongoing political and security challenges in Pakistan.
In a recent interview, Shoaib Akhtar expressed his disappointment with the PCB’s approach, stating that while retaining hosting rights was crucial, the board should have pushed for more favorable terms.
“The PCB was right to retain revenue and hosting rights, but they should have demanded a larger share of the revenue,” Akhtar said. “If India was unwilling to play in Pakistan, then Pakistan deserved a better deal.”
Shoaib Akhtar also claimed that the hybrid model had been finalized long before the PCB’s public acceptance, suggesting the board’s earlier resistance was merely performative.
“In reality, the hybrid model had already been signed. The PCB should have taken a stronger position to secure better terms,” he asserted.
The hybrid model emerged as a compromise after the BCCI made it clear that India would not participate in the tournament if hosted entirely in Pakistan. Although the PCB initially insisted on hosting the full event, reports indicate the board ultimately relented to avoid losing the hosting rights altogether.
While some have lauded the PCB for holding onto its hosting role, others have criticized the board for failing to negotiate more advantageous terms.
Beyond the Champions Trophy debate, Akhtar commented on the broader state of Pakistan-India cricket relations. Advocating a pragmatic approach, he urged the PCB to maintain friendly ties and focus on competitive outcomes.
“My belief has always been simple: go to India and defeat them there. India mein khelo aur wahi unhe maarke aao (Play in India and beat them on their home ground),” Shaoib Akhtar said.
While no official announcement has been made, a hybrid model is the likeliest of options as it was already implemented in the Asia Cup. The outcome is likely a blow to cricket enthusiasts like Shoaib Akhtar but PCB needed a middle ground to avoid isolating the cricketing world.
Listen to Latest Podcast
📢 For the latest Sports news, videos and analysis join ProPakistani's WhatsApp Group now!
Follow ProPakistani on Google News & scroll through your favourite content faster!
Support independent journalism
If you want to join us in our mission to share independent, global journalism to the world, we’d love to have you on our side. If you can, please support us on a monthly basis. It takes less than a minute to set up, and you can rest assured that you’re making a big impact every single month in support of open, independent journalism. Thank you.
