The International Cricket Council (ICC) will be hopeful of coming to a final decision on next year’s Champions Trophy, a decision that all parties – including and especially India and Pakistan – can agree on in the board meeting that is set to take place on Friday, 29 November. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had been awarded hosting rights for the event in 2022, with Pakistan the current holders of the trophy, having defeated India by 180 runs in the final of the 2017 edition at The Oval, the last time the tournament had taken place.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), however, has categorically refused to send the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team to Pakistan for the ninth edition of the ‘Mini World Cup’ – the tournament that the Men in Blue had won in 2013 and had shared with Sri Lanka in 2002. The Indian board cited the lack of a security clearance from the Government of India as the reason behind their inability to send the Indian team across the border, leading to an impasse between the two boards that the ICC will be hopeful of resolving in Friday’s meeting.
Here are some of the options that are likely to be discussed in Friday’s virtual meeting that will be attended by representatives of all 12 Full Members along with three Associate Members and the ICC Chair:
‘Hybrid Model’
Last year’s 50-over Asia Cup was supposed to be hosted entirely in Pakistan, only for the BCCI to refuse to send the Indian team to their neighbouring country much like they are right now and get a majority of fixtures, including their own and the final, moved to Sri Lanka.
While conveying its decision to not send the Men in Blue to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, the BCCI had insisted on India playing its matches at a neutral venue, thereby resulting in the tournament taking place in the same manner as the continental event last year.
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