Champions Trophy: Dubai confirmed as neutral location
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- Web Desk
- Dec 23, 2024
DUBAI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) have agreed on Dubai as the neutral location at which all of India’s matches for the upcoming Champions Trophy will be played.
Dubai International Cricket Stadium has been the home ground for Pakistan between 2009 and 2018 and will now be the neutral venue for next year’s champions trophy contests involving India.
The decision was finalised by the two chairmen of the respective cricket boards, Mohsin Naqvi and Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan.
The development comes following the agreement between the International Cricket Council (ICC), Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and the PCB to have a hybrid model for all major ICC tournaments, extending from next year to 2027.
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The events that will be held during this span include the 2025 Champions Trophy, the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, and the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. In regards to the 2026 T20 World Cup, India will co-host the tournament with Sri Lanka, and thus Pakistan matches will take place in the latter. The 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup, which was awarded to Pakistan, may also see India’s matches held at a neutral venue.
According to media reports, a final schedule is expected to be released next week. However, a tentative schedule was leaked by Indian sports outlet, RevSportz, which revealed that India’s match against Pakistan will take place on February 23. India’s other two group stage matches, against Bangladesh and New Zealand, will take place on February 20 and March 2 respectively. The tentative schedule also states that the tournament will kick off on February 19 with a contest between Pakistan and New Zealand.
Media reports also suggested that Pakistan may receive some compensation for agreeing to the hybrid model. Earlier in the month, sources claimed that the ICC had said having four venues would incur high costs, including an increased budget for camera installation, hotel accommodations, travel, and branding.
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