Putting an end to heated and lengthy debates regarding the neutral venue debacle for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to name United Arab Emirates (UAE) today as the neutral venue for India’s matches.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has been notified of the decision made after a meeting between PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Sheikh Al Nahyan, a PCB spokesperson said.
The issue has been circulating in the two countries for a while with the Indian government refusing to allow its players to visit Pakistan for the mega event.
Now, the highly-awaited Champions Trophy will be partially held in UAE for India’s games with the rest of the matches scheduled in Pakistani venues.
Earlier, the chairman had said that a decision on the neutral venue for India’s games of the Champions Trophpy 2025 will be finalised today, emphasising: “We will ensure cricket does not suffer”.
The PCB chief’s comments came a couple of days after the ICC announced that the Champions Trophy would be held under a hybrid model, with India set to play their matches at a neutral venue rather than in the host country, Pakistan.
