Champions Trophy without India impossible, Broadcasters tell ICC; PCB absent from ‘Hybrid Model’ meeting

BCCI joint secretary Devajit Lon Saikia represented India in the metting and notably, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was absent.

The wait for the Champions Trophy 2025 schedule grew longer as the ICC's board meeting with broadcasters Star Sports was postponed to Saturday, reported news agency PTI. The meeting, supposed to take place on Thursday, was a platform for all representative members to come together and show support for the 'Hybrid Model' to the newly-elected ICC chair Jay Shah.

Pakistan's Babar Azam, right, and India's captain Rohit Sharma walk into the field(PTI)

BCCI joint secretary Devajit Lon Saikia represented India in the Board of Directors meeting. Representatives from England and Wales Cricket, Cricket Australia, and Cricket West Indies were not present in person, and notably, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was absent.

Hybrid Model likely conclusion for CHampions Trophy

Reports indicate that the ICC Board members are expected to largely dismiss the Pakistan Cricket Board's requests for a hybrid model, and no commitments will be made regarding future ICC events in India being held in this format.

The only potential advantage for the PCB may come in the form of additional compensation. Broadcasters have already communicated in writing that a Champions Trophy without India is not viable, and they consider an Indo-Pak group league match essential due to the significant revenue it generates.

On the same day, former BCCI secretary Jay Shah visited the ICC headquarters for the first time as the global body's chairperson. Shah met the Board of Directors, which included Bangladesh's Faruque Ahmed, New Zealand's Roger Twose, ICC chief executive officer Geoff Allardice, deputy chair Imran Khwaja, Zimbabwe's Tavengwa Mukuhlani, UAE's Mubashshir Usmani, Sri Lanka's Shammi Silva, Dr. Mohammed Abdul Samad Moosajee of South Africa and Malaysia's Mahinda Vallipuram. They were all present in Dubai.

The Champions Trophy is slated to take place in Pakistan between January and March. The schedule for the tournament could not be finalised after BCCI informed ICC of the Indian government's resentment of sending their cricket team to Pakistan due to security reasons. A 'Hybrid Model' was proposed by BCCI, where India's matches were scheduled in UAE but the PCB rejected it.