A five-member delegation of the International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to visit Pakistan for inspection ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament. Pakistan is set to host their first ICC event since the 1996 World Cup.

However, India's consistent refusal to visit its neighbors has cast doubt on whether the tournament will be held in the country. According to news reports, the Champions Trophy could be hosted in a hybrid format, with a few games taking place outside of Pakistan.

An ICC delegation is due to arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday for an inspection tour ahead of the Champions Trophy, which will be held in February-March 2025. The group will comprise executives from the International Cricket Council's Events and Security Departments, as well as the General Manager Cricket and Production Manager.

Andy Atkinson, the ICC Pitch Consultant, has visited Pakistan three times since April.

As per the report, the ICC delegation and the Pakistan Cricket Board are expected to discuss the tentative schedule of the 2025 Champions Trophy which was earlier shared by PCB.

“The tentative schedule is important because it involves the Indian team being based in Lahore and playing all their matches in the city,” a well-informed source said.

Also on the agenda will be India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. The ICC delegation would evaluate the continuing repair work in Karachi as well as the team accommodation arrangements before moving on to Islamabad and Lahore.

The insider further added that the ICC will decide when to finalize and release the Champions Trophy schedule.

(PTI inputs)