Courtesy: X
According to the latest development, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given their official confirmation to the International Cricket Council (ICC) about choosing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the neutral venue for India’s Champions Trophy 2025 matches. The decision regarding the neutral venue was agreed upon after the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) chairman, Sheikh Mubarak Al Nahyan, met with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi in Sanghar in the Sindh province of Pakistan.
With the update from Cricbuzz on their latest report, the agreement between the ECB and PCB is in place, which could lead to the Dubai International Cricket Stadium hosting the marquee clash between India and Pakistan on February 23, 2025. Moreover, apart from the venue in Dubai, the UAE also has the option of holding India’s next ICC tournament matches in either Abu Dhabi or Sharjah.
PCB chose the UAE as the neutral venue; informed ICC about their decision
The PCB spokesman revealed the details around the latest agreement signed in connection with the Champions Trophy 2025. He was quoted as saying, “The PCB has chosen the UAE as the neutral venue and the PCB has formally informed the ICC about the decision. Now, India and Pakistan's Champions Trophy matches will be held in the UAE. The final decision was made after a meeting between Mohsin Naqvi and Sheikh Al Nahyan.”
After the ICC gave the option of choosing the neutral venue for their global tournament to the host board, the PCB thought about picking Sri Lanka before settling with the UAE. Moreover, the governing body of world cricket had announced that India and Pakistan will be playing all their matches in their tournaments at a neutral venue from 2024 to 2027 apart from the reports revealing the tentative schedule of the Champions Trophy 2025.
