After India, Another Country To Inspect Security Threat In Pakistan Ahead Of Champions Trophy 2025
Photo : AP
The Champions Trophy 2025 was initially supposed to happen in Pakistan, with the country hosting an ICC tournament for the first time since the 1996 World Cup. However, now the tournament will be held in a hybrid model, with India playing their matches at a neutral venue. This was because BCCI had said that they could not travel to the country because of security issues. Now, New Zealand too are set to inspect a security threat in Pakistan after India less than two months before the Champions Trophy.
New Zealand Cricket Board have sent a delegation to Pakistan to inspect the security before their scheduled tri-series involving the home nation and South Africa. The team includes security expert Reg Dickason and New Zealand Players’ Association representative Brad Rodden. They will be in Karachi and Lahore to discuss security arrangements ahead of the tri-series.
Around the same time, another delegation has come from the ICC to discuss further security arrangements for the Champions Trophy 2025 which is set to take place in February and March.
Hybrid Model Confirmed For Champions Trophy
The ICC have confirmed that India and Pakistan will play all their matches in ICC events in a hybrid model in the 2024-27 cycle. This means that India will not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. Pakistan will also not travel to India for the Women's ODI World Cup 2025, and the T20 World Cup 2026 (which is jointly hosted by Sri Lanka).
The ICC have also awarded the Women's T20 World Cup 2028 to Pakistan as compensation. However, that tournament too will take place in the hybrid model, as India will not travel to Pakistan.
ICC Have No Objection To Tri-Series
According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, the ICC has said that it does not object to a tri-series between India, Pakistan and another full-member Asian nation. In fact, the tournament can also be a quadrangular series, if it involves another Asian nation who is an associate member of the ICC. This series, however, will only be possible, if it takes place at a neutral venue. This tri-series was a demand of the PCB in compensation for the Champions Trophy 2025 being held in the hybrid model.
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