Hyderabad: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), original hosts for the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025, has confirmed that Dubai Cricket Stadium in Dubai will serve as the neutral venue to host India's matches with semi-final 2 and final also to be staged in the UAE if Men in Blue qualify for the knockouts. On conditions of anonymity, a reliable source in the PCB confirmed that Dubai was chosen as the neutral venue after a meeting between PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak on Saturday night.
Sheikh Nahyan, who is currently vacationing in the Ghotki region of Sindh and Naqvi met and finalised the logistical and administrative matters for the mega-event hosted by Pakistan.
Changes confirmed for next year's Champions Trophy tournament and future ICC events this cycle.https://t.co/UJ4S9XxUeF
— ICC (@ICC) December 20, 2024
Meanwhile, International Cricket Council (ICC) on thursday announced that the highly awaited Champions Trophy 2025 will be played across Pakistan and a neutral venue which will hosts India's matches. However, ICC then went on to mention that the this arrangements will be applicable for each tournament organised by the international governing body till 2027.
The ICC is expected to announce the final schedule for the upcoming event, with Pakistan anticipated to host 9 to 10 matches. According to sources, if India does not qualify for the final, the championship match will take place in Lahore. A hybrid arrangement will be implemented for the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, the Women's Cricket World Cup next year in India, and the T20 World Cup in 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
India has declined to travel to Pakistan for the event scheduled in February-March due to security concerns. Since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in which 150 people lost their lives, Indian teams have not played in Pakistan. The last bilateral engagement between the two countries occurred in 2012. Additionally, traveling to Pakistan requires clearance from the Indian government, which has maintained its stance on the current situation.
