No India, No Champions Trophy: Broadcasters Pressure ICC Amid PCB’s Absence

Notably, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not attend the meeting; instead, India was represented by BCCI joint secretary Devajit Lon Saikia.

According to news agency PTI, the ICC’s board meeting with broadcasters Star Sports was rescheduled until Saturday, extending the wait for the Champions Trophy 2025 schedule. The purpose of the meeting, which was scheduled for Thursday, was to give all representative members a chance to unite and endorse the ICC head Jay Shah’s newly adopted “Hybrid Model.”

Hybrid Model is probably going to win the Champions Trophy.

According to reports, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s aspirations for a hybrid model are anticipated to be mainly rejected by the ICC Board members, and no promises would be given about whether or not future ICC tournaments in India will follow this structure.

Additional pay might be the PCB’s only possible benefit. Broadcasters have already said in writing that an Indo-Pak group league match is crucial because of the substantial cash it brings in, and that a Champions Trophy without India is not feasible.

The same day, Jay Shah, the former secretary of the BCCI, made his first visit to the ICC offices as chair of the international organization. Shah met with members of the Board of Directors, including Faruque Ahmed of Bangladesh, Roger Twose of New Zealand, Geoff Allardice, the chief executive officer of the ICC, Imran Khwaja, the deputy chair, Tavengwa Mukuhlani of Zimbabwe, Mubashshir Usmani of the United Arab Emirates, Shammi Silva of Sri Lanka, Dr. Mohammed Abdul Samad Moosajee of South Africa, and Mahinda Vallipuram of Malaysia. All of them were in Dubai.

Between January and March, Pakistan is scheduled to host the Champions Trophy. After the BCCI notified the ICC of the Indian government’s disapproval of sending their cricket team to Pakistan for security concerns, the tournament schedule could not be finalized. The PCB rejected the BCCI’s “Hybrid Model,” which called for India’s matches to be played in the United Arab Emirates.