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Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan (except India)

TheParraboy

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Title a little misleading, but also accurate

India will participate, but all their matches wont be in Pakistan . Even if they make the semi or final or play Pakistan, it will be out of the UAE

Interesting one semi final had a rest day, the other doesn't

It also goes boths ways (also for the women). Pakistan will play their matches at a nuetral venuef India when India host a ICC tournament.


Time to discuss again the India v Pakistan MCG blockbuster ??





India will play their Champions Trophy 2025 matches in the UAE. The decision, though widely expected, was finalised after Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, met with Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak in Pakistan. Sheikh Nahyan is a senior UAE minister and also the head of the Emirates Cricket Board.

"The PCB has picked the UAE as a neutral venue for the Champions Trophy," PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said.

The Pakistan vs India league match will be played on February 23, a Sunday. Apart from Pakistan, the other two teams in India's group are Bangladesh and New Zealand. India will face Bangladesh on February 20, and New Zealand on March 2. All these games are likely to be held in Dubai.


Champions Trophy 2025 groups​

Group A - Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and New Zealand
Group B - Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa


Pakistan, the defending champions, will kick off the tournament on February 19, against New Zealand in Karachi. Pakistan's last league match, against Bangladesh, will be played in Rawalpindi on February 27.

The second group has Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa. The matches for both groups - apart from the India games - will be played across Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi.

The two semi-finals are scheduled for March 4 (without a reserve day) and March 5 (with a reserve day). The final on March 9 also has a reserve day. The first semi-final, if India make it to that stage, will be played in the UAE. If India don't qualify, the game will be held in Pakistan. The final is slotted for Lahore, with the provision of holding it in the UAE if India make it that far.

The hybrid model was finalised after the parties involved agreed that, in return, Pakistan's matches at ICC events hosted by India till 2027 will also be at a neutral venue. In all instances, knockout games such as the semi-final and the final will also be held at neutral venues.

The agreement begins with the Champions Trophy, and will apply to the 2025 women's ODI World Cup in India, and the 2026 men's T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. It will also apply to the 2028 Women's T20 World Cup, the first tournament of the next events cycle that has now been awarded to Pakistan.
 

AlwaysGreen

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51,805
The Indian government has set the rules for the BCCI and that is they can't play cricket in Pakistan.
That said, if India can't play in Pakistan they had the option to withdraw, the ICC decided to placate them instead.

We've got a pretty tough group. Will do well to win it.
 

Bazal

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India should be told to f**k off if they won't play the goddamned final in the host nation, Jesus Christ
 

King-Gutho94

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The influence India hold over cricket/ICC is definitely not great for the sport.

Teams at previous ICC events like world cups have forfeited crucial matches.

England not going to Zimbabwe in 2003 meant they couldn't progress to the next stage.

Kenya benefitted from the Kiwis also opting not to go to Nairobi as well.

Interesting though Pakistan have managed to basically force India to play at a neutral Venue outside India in the 2026 T20 World Cup as part of this deal.

I wonder how long that agreement will last.

I can see the BCCI backflipping on it and Pakistan will have to either refuse to play or get sucked in to going to India.
 

bazza

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should just exclude Pakistan and India from all international cricket till they can grow up
 

TheParraboy

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Financially I dont think any India v Pakistan match loses out, or its very minimal

You will still get a huge crowd at a neutral venue, the tv viewing will be just as insane

Just home fans miss out watching live

Kinda like us unable to tonk a pom if England didnt want to tour here..
 

King-Gutho94

Referee
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20,231
Wonder if a few like minded countries can get together and boycott these ICC tournaments featuring Afghanistan. 1 team missing a match won't have much impact

Afghanistan go to the semi finals by default in that case.

Its up to the ICC really don't include them and expel them from international cricket.

They did it with Zimbabwe for different periods.
 

bazza

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Afghanistan go to the semi finals by default in that case.

Its up to the ICC really don't include them and expel them from international cricket.

They did it with Zimbabwe for different periods.
yes - if countries don't play them they just get to the semis - either a bunch of countries boycott the ICC tournaments or the ICC excludes them.
 

AlwaysGreen

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India v Pakistan: it's an Indian government decision not to play Pakistan. There are far too many complexities to go into why this is the case but the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008 were the major catalyst.

Zimbabwe and Afghanistan are different situations. Zimbabwe was suspended from the ICC because their government was using Zimbabwe Cricket for political purposes which is against the ICC charter.

Afghanistan is similar to South Africa during the apartheid era. Unless everyone boycotts them there is no point. Sadly I can't see Pakistan or Bangladesh or possibly India stop playing them. The ICC will do whatever India wants. And I can't see anyone standing up to India, maybe our plucky cousins New Zealand.
 

Bazal

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India back Afghanistan so the ICC will remain too gutless to do anything, like they are around the whole India - Pakistan situation.

It is funny as f**k though when Indian fans and officials get all "keep politics out of sport" around the Afghanistan thing though.
 

bazza

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Afghanistan is similar to South Africa during the apartheid era. Unless everyone boycotts them there is no point. Sadly I can't see Pakistan or Bangladesh or possibly India stop playing them. The ICC will do whatever India wants. And I can't see anyone standing up to India, maybe our plucky cousins New Zealand.
imagine it would be the south asian countries only playing and the smaller nations unless Aus/Eng offered up some alternative competition to compensate them
Wonder how a tournament with AFG, IND, PAK and SL would go given that IND wouldn't even play in Pakistan
 

AlwaysGreen

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