The schedule and venues for the tournament can be announced now, and the marketing and promotional campaigns begin in earnest. The announcement will certainly bring a sense of relief to broadcasters.
Dec 21, 2024 06:45 IST First published on: Dec 21, 2024 at 06:45 IST
That all India-Pakistan games in International Cricket Council (ICC) events staged at either of the two countries will now be held on neutral turf is a result of Pakistan putting its foot down and demanding equal treatment as their neighbours refuse to visit for any event. The 2025 Champions Trophy isn’t the first time the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will not send its team across the border, citing government instructions. At last year’s Asia Cup too, India’s matches were held in Sri Lanka. The Pakistan team, in contrast, came to India for the 50-over World Cup.
The schedule and venues for the tournament can be announced now, and the marketing and promotional campaigns begin in earnest. The announcement will certainly bring a sense of relief to broadcasters. The arrangement also averts the uncertainty that looms over any big event scheduled in either India or Pakistan — at least till 2028. But it is unfair on local fans. India-Pakistan is arguably the biggest fixture in international cricket and the social media chatter it generates is off the charts. But a match in Dubai or Colombo isn’t the same as one in Lahore or Kolkata. For one, not all cricket enthusiasts in the two countries can afford to go abroad to cheer for their teams. The match will anyway be big, but without the home-and-away atmosphere, the electricity will not be the same.
This is the first ICC event Pakistan will host since 1996 but the most anticipated matches won’t be held on grounds in the country. Not only will they have to play India on a neutral ground — ICC always ensures an India-Pakistan game in the league stages of its competitions for commercial reasons — if India advances to the semifinals or final of the tournament, those games will also be played outside Pakistan. This makes a bit of a mockery of the country’s status as tournament host.
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