New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) gave the green light to the hybrid model for next year's Champions Trophy on Thursday, finally breaking a month-long stalemate over where the tournament will take place. This means that the hosts and defending champions, Pakistan, will face off against India at a neutral venue that hasn't been decided yet.

The ICC board confirmed in a statement, “Matches between India and Pakistan at ICC events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will take place at a neutral venue.”

The Champions Trophy will include eight teams: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa, split into two groups of four, followed by semi-finals and a final.

India had previously been hesitant to travel to Pakistan for the event due to security issues. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially opposed the hybrid model for the Champions Trophy but eventually agreed to neutral venues for both teams in ICC tournaments.

The hybrid model is set to carry over into next year's women's World Cup in India and the men's T20 World Cup in 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. This model will also be used for the knockout matches in both tournaments.

Additionally, Pakistan is gearing up to host the 2028 women's T20 World Cup, kicking off the next event cycle, and it’s still unclear if the hybrid model will be part of that tournament too.

The last Champions Trophy took place in 2017, where Pakistan triumphed over India in the final.

Under the current setup, if India makes it to the semi-finals or finals of the Champions Trophy, those matches will need to be held at neutral venues, likely in the UAE or Sri Lanka. Reports suggest that Pakistan is considering both options, but the UAE seems to be the preferred choice.

PCB will keep full hosting rights for the event and needs to suggest a venue within 24 hours after the resolution is passed. The ICC will then give the green light before the final schedule is released.

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram called the decision “the best solution,” but he feels it’s a setback for the young cricket fans in his country.

“Like millions of Pakistan fans, I wished the entire tournament could be held in Pakistan, and that India would visit our country,” Akram shared with AFP. “But if this is the way forward, then it’s the best option we have.”

“It’s not a victory for any nation, but I’m disappointed that millions of Gen Z Pakistani fans will miss out on seeing (Virat) Kohli, (Rohit) Sharma, (Rishabh) Pant, and (Jasprit) Bumrah play in their homeland.”

When it comes to the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup, the BCCI has requested the PCB to allow their team to travel to India, making an exception. Women’s ICC events usually operate on a tighter budget, and a hybrid model could end up being costly. Still, the resolution from Thursday clearly states that matches between India and Pakistan will take place outside of the country.

In behind-the-scenes discussions, the BCCI's biggest compromise was agreeing to let the Indian team head to Colombo for their match against Pakistan in the 2026 T20 World Cup. With broadcasters like Star investing a whopping $750 million for each ICC event in this cycle, it’s not the best situation for such a high-profile matchup, but it has helped the PCB officially support the hybrid model.

Last year, Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup using a hybrid format, with India’s games and the final held in Sri Lanka. However, they did make the trip to India for the ODI World Cup later that same year. The last time India visited Pakistan was in 2008 for the Asia Cup, and the two teams last played a bilateral white-ball series in 2012-13 in India.

This decision was pretty much expected after the ICC delayed addressing the issue during the previous leadership under Greg Barclay. This breakthrough is the first significant decision made by Jay Shah since he took over on December 1.

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