ICC plans to conduct the 2025 Champions Trophy between February 19 and March 9 - Reports
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly identified a window for the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan. The tournament is set to make a return after eight years, with the last edition being conducted in England and Wales in 2017.
The modern-day cricketing calendar has made the task of scheduling ICC events difficult, but the eight-team event could be conducted from February 19 to March 9 after several T20 franchise tournaments are completed.
The SA20 recently announced staging their 2025 season from January 9 to February 8, and the remaining leagues like ILT20 and BPL are also expected to follow suit.
There is no clarity regarding the actual match days, as the preference would be to start the tournament on a Friday and the final being conducted on a Sunday. The 2017 edition also followed a similar pattern.
According to a report by Cricbuzz, the ICC has already informed the nations about the potential window, so they can conduct their respective T20 leagues in time without any overlap.
The competitions have to finish in time, as there is also a tri-series involving Pakistan, South Africa, and New Zealand in the works ahead of the Champions Trophy.
No update regarding India's participation in Pakistan for the Champions Trophy
Despite a window being determined for the tournament, there is still no update on whether India will travel to Pakistan to compete. A different host nation might be out of the question, but a hybrid model may be on the table, if India outright refuse to travel across the border again.
The 2023 Asia Cup witnessed a similar model, where India played all their matches in Sri Lanka. The report mentions that the diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan are expected to remain frosty, and the government's stance is unlikely to change.
PCB has reportedly proposed conducting all of India's matches in Lahore, to ensure minimal travel and allow fans to witness the games coming through the Wagah Border. However, it remains to be seen whether the BCCI and the Indian government accept such a proposal.
"We will have some idea in the next two months," said an informed source to Cricbuzz.
There might be a clearer picture regarding the Champions Trophy after the ICC's annual conference in Colombo in July.