India to play Champions Trophy on neutral ground, not in Pakistan

KARACHI, Dec 19 (Agencies): India will play next year's Champions Trophy matches on neutral ground after refusing to visit tournament host and arch-rival Pakistan, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Thursday following weeks of wrangling.
The announcement ended a month-long standoff after India told the ICC it would not send its team to Pakistan because of security fears and political tensions.
Under the agreement, Pakistan will also play in upcoming ICC tournaments hosted by India in other countries, yet to be decided.
"India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue, the ICC Board confirmed," said a statement released by the council. "This will apply to the upcoming ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan)."
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier refused to play the Champions trophy on a so-called hybrid model but backed down after settling on neutral venues for both sides.
The agreement will extend to the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 hosted by India, and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the statement added.
The Champions Trophy will also feature Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
This includes the upcoming men's Champions Trophy as well as next year's women's World Cup in India and the men's T20 World Cup in 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan will also host the women's T20 World Cup in 2028, when neutral venue arrangements will also apply.
It remains uncertain which will be the neutral country for the Champions Trophy -- UAE or Sri Lanka. While the PCB, the designated host of the eight-team championship, appears to favour Sri Lanka, logistical convenience may ultimately tilt the decision towards the UAE. The ICC said the final schedule will be announced next week.
If the decision sways in favour of UAE, Dubai will host the India-Pakistan game. The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) is believed to be waiting for the final clearance from the ICC and the PCB. There are grounds in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah too but the ECB officials say if they are allotted the CT matches, the big India-Pakistan game will be in Dubai, considering the size of the venue. The UAE is expected to host 10 of the 15 matches, including three India league matches and two knockout games.
India's latest defiance is a progression of New Delhi's refusal to play bilateral cricket with Pakistan initiated after the 2008 attacks on Mumbai, which India blamed on militants based across the border. Pakistan was also forced to host last year's Asia Cup on a hybrid model with India's matches and the final hosted in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan did, however, play in India during the 2023 ICC World Cup hosted there.
The arch-rivals only meet in ICC multi-national events like ODI and T20 World Cups, with the last bilateral series held when Pakistan toured India in 2012-13.
India last toured Pakistan to feature in the 2008 Asia Cup and have not played a bilateral series across the border for 18 years.
In the last few years, Pakistan has hosted the world's top teams after improving security, emerging from cricketing isolation that began after a militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009 in Lahore.
The Champions Trophy controversy snowballed into a major crisis after the BCCI announced that the Indian team would not travel to Pakistan for the matches.