LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday firmly refuted claims of their ‘surrender’ amid ambiguity surrounding the holding of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in the February-March window of next year.
According to sources, PCB officials and chairman Mohsin Naqvi returned from Dubai, where they held several crucial meetings on the issue.
Sources close to the PCB also shared that the board has remained firm on its stance and is awaiting the response from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the recently proposed ‘partnership model’.
PCB sources also reiterated their opposition to the “surrender” allegations, highlighting that if Pakistan had surrendered, the BCCI and ICC would not have requested more time.
It is pertinent to mention here that a new model called ‘partnership formula’ is under consideration to end the impasse between PCB and BCCI.
As per the new formula, Pakistan will also not play its matches in India during ICC events for the next three years. Dubai is most likely to be the neutral venue for both teams under the expected new deal.
India is scheduled to host three ICC events during this period, including the 2025 Women’s World Cup, co-hosting the 2026 T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka and the 2027 Champions Trophy.
Details were further disclosed that cricket’s apex body has advised the BCCI to accept the aforementioned model in a bid to avoid legal action from Pakistan and also to resolve the issue without a vote.
If the proposed formula is mutually agreed, there may be no need for a board meeting and cricket’s governing body will communicate the development to board members.
