ICC in a dilemma over India's participation in Champions Trophy

NEW DELHI: During a recent televised debate in Pakistan about the Champions Trophy controversy, one panelist argued that Sri Lanka should be included in the eight-team 50-over tournament instead of India. Another panelist retorted, "You cannot remove a player who holds both the bat and the ball. You cannot remove India when world cricket depends on them, especially when the broadcaster is from the country."The debate summed up the dilemma faced by Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Since the global event was last hosted in 1996, the PCB has been keen to host the Champions Trophy at any cost, whether India participates or not. The PCB aims to show that Pakistan, often targeted for security issues, is ready to change its 'insecure image'. Hosting a major event like the Champions Trophy after almost three decades will reinforce this perception.
The global reality is different. Without India's participation, the Champions Trophy - or any ICC event for that matter - would be a non-starter. To complicate the situation even further, the PCB has taken a firm stand against the hybrid model, under which Pakistan would be allowed to host but India's matches, including the semi-finals and final, would be moved to a neutral venue, possibly the UAE. But the PCB is not willing to go for it.
India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have made it clear that their team will not travel to Pakistan, so the stakeholders, the ICC and the PCB, are left with only a few options. Specifically, there are three possible scenarios:
1. The PCB agrees to the hybrid model and five of the 15 matches are played in the UAE.
2. The Champions Trophy is moved out of Pakistan, in which case the PCB could withdraw from the competition.
3. The Champions Trophy is postponed indefinitely.
Each option has serious implications for both the tournament and the PCB's ambitions. If the PCB backs out, it could face ICC sanctions, including a cut in substantial ICC funding. Moreover, pushing back or postponing the Champions Trophy would mean potentially losing out on USD 65 million in hosting fees, a huge sum for the PCB. The loss would be even more troubling, as it had made serious investments to upgrade infrastructure at the three designated venues for the Champions Trophy - Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore.
Reports from Pakistan suggest that the government has advised the PCB not to accept the hybrid model. A source familiar with the situation said, "It is not on the table. The PCB will naturally follow government guidance."
After extensive deliberations, the PCB has written to the ICC seeking clarifications. In the ICC-PCB communication about India's stance, there is no mention of security issues, and the PCB has raised several questions on that front. It also highlighted that in the last two years, New Zealand has toured Pakistan thrice, England twice and Australia once.
PCB spokesperson Sami-ul-Hassan told Cricbuzz on Tuesday, "The PCB has responded to the ICC's letter last week, seeking clarification on the BCCI's decision not to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025." He confirmed that the PCB is in talks with the ICC, which, as reported by this website, cancelled the 100-day countdown event in Lahore, throwing the whole situation into disarray.
Questions arise over the role of the ICC in this entire episode. It is a well-known fact that India would not be willing to travel to Pakistan given the diplomatic relations between the two countries, and the ICC's role in this impasse remains a central point. It has been claimed that the schedule of the tournament was shared with all stakeholders and participating teams well in advance and the BCCI did not raise any objections at that time. Moreover, since the Champions Trophy was awarded to Pakistan, there have been around 12 ICC Board meetings in which no formal concerns have been raised by the BCCI about India's participation.
What has been overlooked here is that the BCCI works under the guidance of the Indian government and cannot take any decision without official approval. Former Indian Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had said long back while in office that India would not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. While this may not have been the official position of the BCCI at the time, anyone with a good understanding of India-Pakistan relations can easily understand this position. Now the ball is completely in the ICC's court.