ICC Champions Trophy 2025 to be played in Pakistan from Feb 19 to Mar 9.
Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria, only the second Hindu to play for a Muslim-majority country, said that ICC approving the hybrid model for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan is a win-win situation for the BCCI and Indian team.
Pakistan is set to host the 8-nation ICC event, their first since the 1996 World Cup, from February 19 to March 9. Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi will host the matches, while the Indian team’s matches will be played in Dubai. A semi-final and final will also be played in UAE, in case India qualifies.
India and Pakistan matches hosted by any nation at ICC Events during the 2024–2027 rights cycle will take place at a neutral location, the ICC executive board declared last week.
Additionally, the PCB has been granted the right to host the 2028 ICC Women's T20 World Cup, with neutral venue agreements also being in place.
Danish Kaneria, a former spinner for Pakistan, believes that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are equally benefiting from the "lollipop" of hosting the Women's T20 World Cup in 2028.
"The BCCI has found itself in a win-win situation. Here in Pakistan, I'm also hearing people say that 'we've fought and won this', but they're illiterate. They've been handed the 'lollipop' of the Women's World Cup. From the beginning, I felt that the hybrid model would be the only solution because, in this situation, there's no other option," Kaneria told IANS.
India and Pakistan only compete in ICC and ACC events due to political tensions between the two countries and the last bilateral series between the two teams happened in 2012-13. India has not toured Pakistan since 2008.
“Pakistan has said that they won't go to India to play, but only time will tell. The country is currently facing an unstable situation. If something happens with the other teams, then what will happen? The entire tournament might shift to Dubai. Everyone has family concerns, and we should respect that. Given the current situation, let's hope that the tournament goes smoothly under the hybrid model," said Kaneria.
"The interesting part is that if both India and Pakistan reach the final, then it will have to be played in Dubai, right? That will raise another issue: if you can play the final in Dubai, then what's the problem with playing the games in India?
Looking at the circumstances, they need to ensure that the situation in Pakistan remains stable. Teams are coming here and playing matches. It shouldn't happen that other teams raise questions and the entire tournament will take place in Dubai," he added.
Kaneria recalled the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team and urged that every effort should be made to ensure the Champions Trophy takes place smoothly.
“Everyone has security concerns. Whenever a team comes to Pakistan for an international match, they are provided with president-level security. This is necessary because there was an incident in the past that caused significant harm to Pakistan cricket and its players. International cricket in Pakistan had come to a halt. You have to think according to the demands of the situation, not act out of ego. If you do good, people will speak well of you," said the former spinner.
If India had played in Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, Kaneria said that the India-Pakistan match would "attract ten times more spectators" than matches involving other teams.
"The entire stadium and even the roads would be packed with people. Because people are fans of Rohit (Sharma), Virat (Kohli), and (Jasprit) Bumrah. The younger generation is emulating these players," Kaneria said.
Kaneria further stated that the successful hosting of the Champions Trophy would provide a boost to Pakistan cricket, but emphasized that there is still a long way to go.
"International cricket has already revived in Pakistan. Now, Pakistan should focus on the Champions Trophy instead of dwelling on other matters. If this tournament turns out to be successful, it will be very beneficial for Pakistan cricket and the youth. It will boost Pakistan cricket even more, but there's still a long way to go," he concluded.
(IANS inputs)