The upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour will begin from Islamabad on November 16 despite the uncertainty surrounding the Indian team’s visit to Pakistan for the tournament scheduled to be held in February next year.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on
“Take a look at the trophy lifted by Sarfraz Ahmed in 2017 at The Oval, November 16-24,” the cricket body wrote.
The prestigious trophy was brought from Dubai to Islamabad, two days before the trophy tour was scheduled to begin.
Notably, this will be the first time that the Trophy Round for an ICC event will be held before the announcement of the tournament schedule, which is usually revealed four months before the start date.
Earlier today, it was reported that broadcasters are pressuring the ICC to immediately announce the Champions Trophy schedule.
The schedule for the highly anticipated tournament was scheduled to be announced earlier this week, but rejection by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) led to the delay.
According to sources, the broadcasters, who were awarded broadcast rights for a record $3 billion until 2027, were given guarantees for a tournament that includes huge Pakistan-India clashes, which usually generate the highest viewership and revenue.
However, India’s stubbornness has jeopardized the entire situation, with no clear time frame for announcing the timeline.
It is worth noting that the ICC is currently in a dilemma due to India’s decision not to travel to Pakistan and the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) firm stance against the proposed hybrid model.