The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Thursday that matches between India and Pakistan at ICC events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at neutral venues.
As per the official announcement, this decision impacts several tournaments, including the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, which will be hosted by Pakistan in February and March 2025, will see India and Pakistan play at a neutral venue, following this new arrangement.
Similarly, the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup in India and the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will feature India-Pakistan matches at neutral locations.
Additionally, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been awarded the hosting rights for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where neutral venue arrangements will also be in place for India-Pakistan matches.
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This announcement comes amid the ongoing tensions between the two countries, which have historically affected their participation in each other’s hosted events.
The decision ensures that cricket continues to be played between the two nations in major ICC events while maintaining a neutral playing ground.
Cricket fans will also be eager to watch the highly anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where Pakistan will aim to defend their title, having won the tournament in 2017.
The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa, alongside the hosts, Pakistan.
Further, Cricket Australia is set to host one of the senior ICC women’s events during the 2029-2031 period, with more details on the schedule for these events to be released soon.
Source: ICC
