There was reportedly no proposal for a bilateral T20I series between India and Pakistan on neutral ground at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Annual General Meeting in Colombo. Amid uncertainty over India’s readiness to send a team to Pakistan, there were rumours that Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi was planning to invite India to play in the 2025 series at the Colombo meeting, while ensuring that no Champions Trophy matches are played abroad in 2025.
The Pakistan Football Association has rejected the proposal for such a series and is committed to hosting the Champions Trophy in a “befitting format,” PTI reported, citing a Pakistan Football Association source as saying that Pakistan already has a packed international schedule and it may be difficult to fit in a series with India.
“Our biggest challenge at present is to host the Champions Trophy in a befitting manner and given the packed international schedule, such a proposal is not on the table,” PTI quoted the source as saying.
No mention of Champions Trophy at annual meeting
The ICC’s official statement on the meeting made no mention of the Champions Trophy. Cricket’s world governing body said it had given USA Cricket a formal notice and given it “12 months to remedy any non-compliance with ICC membership standards.” The tournament is scheduled to begin in Pakistan on February 19. India are scheduled to play Pakistan in Lahore on March 1.
However, it is reported that the BCCI is unlikely to send a team to the country and may instead propose a hybrid model similar to that used for the Asia Cup in 2023. The tournament was initially scheduled to be held solely in Pakistan but was changed to a hybrid format involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with India playing their matches in Sri Lanka.
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