The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly begun considering alternative hosting options for major upcoming tournaments following continued geopolitical tensions between Pakistan and India, according to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald.
The publication reported that Australia could be considered as an alternative host for the ICC Champions Trophy 2029 and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2031. Both events are currently scheduled to be hosted by India, with Bangladesh set to co-host the 2031 World Cup.
The report comes amid uncertainty that surrounded the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan had initially announced it would boycott its February 15 group-stage match against India. The decision was made in solidarity with Bangladesh, which had been removed from the tournament after refusing to travel to India due to security concerns.
However, after requests from friendly countries and high-level discussions involving the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), ICC officials, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Pakistan ultimately approved its participation in the match against India.
The decision was made to avoid a potential financial loss of $250 million that could have resulted from withdrawing from the tournament.
Relations between Pakistan and India have remained strained. The Asia Cup 2024 was the first major tournament held after the two nuclear-armed countries went to war in May 2025. During the Asia Cup and in a recent T20 World Cup match, Indian players and their captain declined the customary post-match handshake with their Pakistani counterparts.
Tensions between the two countries in cricket, however, predate the May 2025 conflict.
In December 2024, the PCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) agreed to a “hybrid model” for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which was hosted by Pakistan. Under the agreement, both teams decided not to play ICC events hosted by the other country. Instead, they agreed to play those matches at neutral venues during the 2024–2027 rights cycle.
Pakistan and India now meet only in ICC multi-nation tournaments. The last bilateral series between the two teams took place in 2012–13, when Pakistan toured India. For more than a decade, India has not sent its national team to Pakistan for bilateral cricket due to political tensions.
Against this backdrop, The Sydney Morning Herald, citing two sources, reported that ongoing tensions have prompted global cricket administrators to hold contingency discussions. These discussions include identifying backup venues to prevent disruptions to major tournaments.
Australia has previously hosted high-profile Pakistan–India World Cup matches. During the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, 41,587 fans attended the match at Adelaide Oval. In the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 90,293 spectators watched the two teams face off at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
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