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The International Cricket Council (ICC) cannot force any cricket board to go against the government policy as the BCCI has yet to make an official announcement regarding its participation.
ICC Champions Trophy (X)
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly willing to adjust the schedule regarding the 2025 Champions Trophy with a hybrid model to allow India’s participation by holding some of the games in the United Arab Emirates.
According to a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI), the PCB could make the switch to allow India to play its games in Dubai or Sharjah.
“The PCB feels that even if the Indian government does not clear the tour to Pakistan slight adjustments can be made to the schedule, as in all probability India would play its matches in Dubai or Sharjah,” a reliable source in the PCB was quoted saying in the report.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) cannot force any cricket board to go against the government policy as the BCCI has yet to make an official announcement regarding its participation in the Champions Trophy, which makes its return in 2017.
The PCB is pushing the ICC to announce the schedule for the tournament by next week as some top officials of the world governing body are due to visit Lahore again next week.
“The PCB has discussed with the ICC the tentative schedule which they sent some months back and wants the same schedule announced on 11 November,” said the source.
“It has told the ICC that since a back-up plan is already in place with a revised budget there is no sense in delaying releasing a tentative schedule of matches,” the source added.
According to the tentative schedule proposed by the PCB, the marquee Champions Trophy match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is slated in Lahore on March 1 next year.
The tournament is slated to begin on February 19, 2025, with Pakistan facing New Zealand in Karachi. The final is scheduled on March 9 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
According to the tentative schedule, all of India’s matches have been kept in Lahore for security and logistical reasons.
The PCB is spending nearly 13 billion rupees on upgrading its stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi where the CT matches would be held, according to sources.
(with PTI Inputs)
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