ISLAMABAD — The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that the United Arab Emirates will serve as a neutral location for India’s matches during the upcoming Champions Trophy, following ongoing tensions between the two cricketing nations.
India expressed its refusal to travel to Pakistan, which is the official host for the eight-team, 50-over tournament, citing security issues as a major concern.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Thursday that under a hybrid model, all of India’s matches, including potential semifinal and final games, will occur at a neutral venue.
According to PCB spokesman Amir Mir, the decision to finalize the UAE as the venue came after PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi held discussions with Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, the chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board.
Mir noted that the PCB has duly notified the ICC regarding this venue selection.
Although the PCB’s announcement did not specify the exact location of the matches within the UAE, Dubai is seen as the most probable site.
Moreover, during the 2024-27 cycle of ICC events, Pakistan will not compete against India in India. For the 2025 Women’s World Cup, being hosted by India, and the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted with Sri Lanka, Pakistan is also expected to perform at a neutral site.
India is set to play three group matches during the 2025 Champions Trophy, one of which will be against Pakistan. Depending on how far India progresses in the tournament, the UAE may also be the location for one of the semifinals and the final.
This recent announcement facilitates the ICC’s ability to unveil the tournament’s schedule, which will take place in February and March, in the near future.
Political discord between Pakistan and India has hindered the teams from visiting each other’s territories since 2012, when Pakistan participated in a bilateral ODI series in India.
Despite frequent meetings in ICC competitions — including Pakistan’s trip to India for last year’s men’s World Cup — India refused to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup and instead played all its games in Sri Lanka.
The list of participants for the 2025 Champions Trophy includes defending champion Pakistan, along with India, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Australia, England, South Africa, and Afghanistan.
The PCB has invested significantly in upgrading stadiums in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi, with hopes that the renovations will conclude by mid-January. Pakistan is slated to host a minimum of ten matches across these three venues.