PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi
- Pakistan to host 2025 Champions Trophy entirely.
- PCB rejects “plan B” with neutral venue for India.
- PCB threatens to skip 2026 T20 World Cup if India avoids Pakistan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is firmly committed to hosting the 2025 Champions Trophy entirely in Pakistan, refuting any speculation about the possibility of a neutral venue or a backup plan, as per reports from a local broadcaster.
Speculation has been rife about an alternative “plan B” that would see the Indian cricket team playing at a neutral location rather than in Pakistan. Nonetheless, the PCB maintains that as the designated host, Pakistan should be the sole venue for the tournament.
During the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s annual meeting set for July 19-22 in Colombo, the PCB plans to assertively argue for the privilege of hosting all matches on Pakistani soil.
The PCB has identified Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore as the proposed venues for the event. The schedule submitted to the ICC indicates that Lahore is the intended city for all of India’s matches. In anticipation of the tournament, the PCB is investing Rs12.80 billion to enhance facilities at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, Karachi’s National Bank Cricket Arena, and the Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium.
The PCB emphasizes that all teams, barring India, have previously competed in Pakistan and contends that there are no justifiable grounds for India to refrain from playing there.
Should India opt out of traveling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, the PCB has signaled that it would respond in kind by not participating in the 2026 T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
The Champions Trophy is slated for February 19 to March 9, 2025, marking the tournament’s comeback after an eight-year hiatus. The last edition in 2017 saw Pakistan emerge victorious, defeating India in the final.
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