GHOTKI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been decided as the neutral venue for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be held in Pakistan in the February-March window.
The development came after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Chairman Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan at his residence here on Saturday evening.
In the meeting, the two cricket boards reached a consensus to set the UAE as the neutral venue for the eight-team tournament.
Earlier in the day, during his visit to Karachi’s National Stadium to review the progress of the ongoing works ahead of the mega event, Naqvi said that the decision on the neutral venue of the tournament will be taken by Sunday.
“A decision on what constitutes a neutral site will be made tomorrow,” Naqvi said.
It is pertinent to mention that the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 will be played in hosts Pakistan and at a neutral venue, confirmed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday.
This decision is part of a broader agreement under which matches between India and Pakistan in ICC events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at neutral venues, ensuring logistical and security viability.
The ‘merger formula’ will apply to major ICC tournaments after the Champions Trophy, including the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup (hosted in India) and the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka).
According to this formula, the knockout stage matches, including the final, will be played at a neutral venue if India and Pakistan qualify.
Faizan Lakhani is deputy editor (sports) at Geo News.
