ICC Approves Hybrid Model; Indo-Pak Encounter in 2026 T20 World Cup Shifted to Colombo: Reports

Mumbai, Dec 13 (NationPress) The deadlock concerning the forthcoming Champions Trophy 2025 has been resolved as insiders from BCCI and ICC indicated on Friday that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has consented to the hybrid model allowing India to compete in its matches in Dubai.

According to reports from IANS on Friday night, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has also given the green light to the hybrid arrangement, and the tournament will proceed in Pakistan in February-March 2025.

As a part of the agreement, the ICC, BCCI, and PCB have decided that the Pakistan men's squad will not travel to India for their group match against the hosts during the T20 World Cup 2026, opting instead to play the game in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

While the ICC and BCCI did not concede to the PCB's request for compensation regarding the revenue loss from not hosting the Indo-Pak encounter, the ICC has permitted Pakistan to host a women's tournament post-2027.

The future of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan was uncertain after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed the ICC that it had not received authorization from the Indian government to send its team to Pakistan for the event.

With the ICC aligning with the BCCI, the announcement of the tournament fixtures was postponed. The PCB initially maintained that it would host the entire tournament but later consented to the hybrid model provided that the ICC and BCCI assured that Pakistan's matches in future ICC events held in India would also be played under a hybrid model.

Ultimately, the ICC and BCCI agreed to their stipulations, thus clearing the path for the Champions Trophy 2025 to proceed in a hybrid format.