Pakistan Cricket Board has agreed to a hybrid model for the ICC Champions Trophy but Pakistanis are not happy. They are blaming India for ruining their tournament by influencing the hosting arrangement. Some, including sports journalist Imran Siddique, warned India to “wait” for its turn.
Siddique said that India wants Pakistan to visit the country for the T20 World Cup 2026, and pushed for a tit-for-tat solution.
“Why now? Do it without us, if you have the guts to,” he wrote.
The PCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have agreed to a hybrid model for future International Cricket Council tournaments, allowing matches to be played at neutral venues. This decision follows the Indian government’s refusal to allow its team to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy. The ICC’s final approval is needed to implement the plan fully.
‘Schrodinger’s tournament’
Cricket analysts have said that PCB’s demand for a ‘hybrid-for-hybrid’ model is valid, and that India’s stance is affecting the overall spirit of the game.
Ex-PCB Chairman Khalid Mahmood, in an interview with Dawn journalist Abdul Ghaffar, said that BCCI is using its money and power to establish dominance, and that it should refrain from doing so.
Former cricket player Mirza Iqbal Baig added that hosting the Champions Trophy will be a ‘challenge’ for Pakistan.
“BCCI will use its influence to manipulate other teams to give security reasons to refrain from playing in Pakistan,” he said. Some critics have said that Pakistan should boycott the entire event altogether.
But sports journalist Sanaullah Khan in a video added that Pakistan choosing to boycott the Champions Trophy isn’t an option either because the BCCI dominates even in ICC tournaments.
Moreover, former cricketer Rashid Latif in an X post wrote that, while PCB might have agreed to a hybrid model for the ICC Champions Trophy, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi is fighting to ensure that the 2026 T20 World Cup is played only in Sri Lanka and India isn’t the joint host.
“Revenue and Venue from 2025-27 important for both PCB and BCCI.
BCCI deserves 38.5%, but PCB also deserves more than 5.75%,” Latif wrote.
Hypothetically, he added, “If Pakistan-India final in Champions Trophy can be played in Dubai, the India-Pakistan final in T20WC 2026 can also be played in Colombo. This parity and equal treatment for which Mohsin Naqvi has been fighting for!
Cricket fans have labelled the tournament a ‘Schrodinger’s tournament.’
“Surprise us directly when the tournament starts!”, a Reddit user commented sarcastically, weighing in on the whole venue confusion. Other fans on the platform, evidently trying to remain neutral, are blaming the ICC for causing confusion.
“When I’m in an incompetence measuring competition and my opponent is ICC,” one Sri Lankan Redditor wrote, while an Indian declared, “Just decide before toss bro”.
To have or not have a hybrid model?
The PCB initially opposed the hybrid model because the Pakistani team had travelled to India for the 2023 One Day International (ODI) World Cup. It has accepted the new arrangement now but stresses that future ICC events should ensure neither team plays in the other’s territory. The PCB has warned the BCCI not to expect any future exceptions until 2031, Dawn reported.
The Pakistani daily also reported that the ICC had asked the PCB and BCCI to reach a mutual agreement before making any decisions. A scheduled meeting on Friday was delayed to Saturday and then postponed again due to ongoing discussions between the two cricket boards. The meeting could be held anytime after Tuesday, the UAE’s national holiday.
PCB had requested BCCI to show a letter from the Indian government in which it explicitly imposed a travel ban on the Pakistani cricket team for security reasons. But it wasn’t provided. Moreover, citing India’s dominance in ICC earnings, the PCB may also push for a larger revenue share from future tournaments involving the two countries.