New Delhi: Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar recently shared his take on the row over Champions Trophy 2025 between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Both cricket boards have been at loggerheads over the venue of the premier tournament after BCCI refused to send the Indian team to Pakistan.
Pakistan are the official host of the Champions Trophy, however, the BCCI has decided to not send the Indian team to Pakistan for the competition citing security reasons. PCB has reportedly agreed to accept a hybrid model for the tournament but has put forth a few conditions to the ICC. The PCB has demanded similar hybrid models to be followed for them in the ICC tournaments hosted by India in the future and has also asked for a higher revenue share from the ICC.
Sharing his take on the ongoing controversy, Akhtar said he is in support of PCB’s demand for a greater revenue share from the ICC to conduct the Champions Trophy 2025 in a hybrid model. However, he disagreed with PCB’s stance of not travelling to India for the future ICC events hosted in the country. Akhtar believes Pakistan should travel to India and try to beat India in their own backyard in big events.
“You are getting paid for hosting rights and revenue, and that’s fine-we all understand it. Pakistan’s stance is also reasonable. They should have maintained a strong position, why not? Once we are able to host the Champions Trophy in our country and they are unwilling to come, they should share the revenue with us at a higher rate. That’s a good call,” Akhtar said on Pakistani news channel PTV Sports.
“In terms of playing in India in the future, we should extend a hand of friendship and go there. My belief has always been, go to India and defeat them there. India mein khelo aur wahi unhe maarke aao (play in India and beat them on their home ground),” he added.
Hybrid Model pehle decide ho gaya tha. Shoaib Akhtar
VC PTV sports official pic.twitter.com/6nZEthwHH3
— iffi Raza (@Rizzvi73) December 1, 2024
Hybrid model was already agreed: Akhtar
On the show, Akhtar also made a huge claim as he said the hybrid model was agreed upon between the BCCI and PCB much before and that the Pakistan board had already signed the agreement. PCB had maintained a strict stance over hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan. However, their stance seems to have softened in the last few days after an ICC board meeting last week.
“I understand that the hybrid model had already been signed earlier,” Akhtar said on the show.
During the ICC board meeting, PCB reportedly fund little support from the full-member nations about hosting the Champions Trophy without India since BCCI was refusing to let the Men in Blue to travel to Pakistan. PCB was warned by the ICC that they had to accept the hybrid model or the entire tournament might be shifted away from Pakistan.
While ICC is yet to officially announce the venue and final schedule of the tournament, it is understood that India will play all their matches in teh UAE if a hybrid model is accepted for Champions Trophy 2025.
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar came up with an explosive take as he suggested Pakistan team to visit India in future ICC events and beat the Men in Blue in their own backyard. Akhtar’s comments come amid the ongoing row between BCCI and PCB over the venue of Champions Trophy 2025. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
