LAHORE: The two-way hybrid model proposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to address the issue of India’s refusal to send its team to Pakistan for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy has been accepted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), sources told Dawn on Friday.

The development potentially clears the way for the tournament, scheduled to be held in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9 next year.

Well-placed sources said that the hybrid model will be presented to the International Cricket Council (ICC) Board for final approval during an online meeting scheduled for Saturday.

“Yes, the ICC Board meeting is confirmed for Saturday, and the hybrid model will be presented,” a source close to the matter said. “There are positive signals indicating that the BCCI has agreed to the PCB’s proposal. After the ICC Board’s formal approval, the model will be implemented.”

Under the hybrid model, neither Pakistan nor India will travel to each other’s countries for future ICC events. Instead, matches involving the two teams will be played at neutral venues.

However, is yet to be revealed for how many years this formula would be applied. Reports suggest that the PCB has already entered negotiations with the Emirates Cricket Board to host India’s matches of the Champions Trophy in Dubai.

While India have not toured Pakistan in the past 18 years, Pakistan have visited India four times during this period. India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, which is the first ICC event the PCB is hosting in 28 years, has once again underscored the strained bilateral cricket ties.

The last time Pakistan held an ICC event was during the 1996 World Cup, which it co-hosted alongside India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

Sources also revealed that PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, currently in Dubai, held an informal meeting with the newly appointed ICC chairman, Jay Shah, who also serves as the BCCI secretary.

“It was just an informal meeting, and no discussions regarding the Champions Trophy took place,” the sources clarified.

In another development, Shammi Silva, the head of Sri Lanka Cricket, was appointed as the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), replacing Shah, who was elevated to the position of ICC president on December 1.

According to a PCB official, the ACC chairmanship will transition to the PCB from January 2025, in line with a decision made during the last ACC meeting in Malaysia.

“As Shah had to step down from his ACC role to take over as ICC president, Silva was appointed as interim chairman until January 2025, after which Mohsin Naqvi will assume the position,” the official added.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2024