File image of India captain Rohit Sharma shaking hands with former Pakistan captain Babar Azam (Photo Source: X)
As the impasse over the Champions Trophy hosting and scheduling continues, former Pakistan batsman Basit Ali has claimed that the tournament’s official broadcaster has said ‘no’ to the hybrid model or to have India and Pakistan in different pools.
After the Board of Control for
Cricket
in India (BCCI) refused to send the Indian team to Pakistan — the designated hosts of the tournament, the Pakistan Cricket Board (
PCB
) has taken a tough stance with strong objection to a hybrid model, which will allow India to play their matches at a neutral venue, while the rest of tournament is hosted in Pakistan.
In fact, the PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, has gone on record to say that the hybrid model is not acceptable to Pakistan.
PCB Aur Broadcaster Nay ICC Aur BCCI Ko Preshan Kar Diya | Basit Ali
With huge amounts of financial gains from an International Cricket Council (
ICC
) tournament dependent on the
India vs Pakistan
game and both the nations sticking to their decisions, the announcement of the schedule is understandably on hold as a tournament without either of the teams will take the sheen off it.
“What did I tell you about the Champions Trophy…Broadcaster isn’t agreeing to (hybrid model or India and Pakistan in different pools) and it won’t,” said Basit in a video on his YouTube channel. “If there is no India-Pakistan match in a tournament, then it would be like a tasteless dish.”
The former middle-order batsman added that Pakistan has made the right moves, which has put the ICC in a fix, where they have to not only satisfy both the BCCI and the PCB, but also the broadcaster, who won’t be ready to bear any financial losses in the event of no India-Pakistan match.
“PCB has played its cards very well, well done!…If you want to go ahead with the hybrid model, do it. But India and Pakistan won’t be in the same pool, and Pakistan will play all their matches at home,” said Basit.
“Mohsin Naqvi is quietly sitting now. He has played his cards correctly.”
Basit added “ICC pareshan hai (is worried)” while the world is watching the four-way game being played in the apex body’s corridors.
“BCCI sends a message to the ICC, and it is relayed to the PCB. Then the PCB sends a message to the ICC, and it is forwarded to the BCCI. Then the broadcaster jumped in and asked ‘what’s happening, this is not agreeable to us’.
“Both broadcaster and the ICC are having sleepless nights.”
The Champions Trophy, which is scheduled for February 19 to March 9 next year in Pakistan, is making a return to the ICC calendar after seven years.