Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should keep its ego aside and accept the hybrid model for the 2025 Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held between February and March.
Speaking at the inauguration of the World Tennis League on Monday, the 44-year-old said Pakistan should keep “ego” aside.
“Ask all the players, they will say they are ready to play in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. In any case, we do not see many Indo-Pak games as such, and Pakistan should keep its ego aside and agree to the “Hybrid Model”. There is a security concern (for India) and I have been saying this since 2022,” he said.
The PCB, however, firmly refuted their claims of “surrender” amid the ambiguity surrounding the holding of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy.
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.
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.
In a wider discussion, the right-arm bowler also commented on regular Indian captain Rohit Sharma’s form and placement in the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia.
