Pakistan set to host ICC event after 29 years

The South Asian nation is going to host the Champions Trophy 2025 from February 19 to March 9. 

Islamabad, Feb. 19:  A three-decade wait finally ends for Pakistan on Wednesday when it stages its first major International Cricket Council tournament since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with Sri Lanka and India.

A 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lanka playing squad at Lahore resulted in international teams avoiding tours to Pakistan for almost a decade because of security concerns. The Sri Lankan test team returned in 2019 as international cricket made slow inroads back.

Since then, there's been progress on bringing bigger, multinational events to Pakistan, where cricket — by a long margin — is the most popular sport.

But it doesn't come without complications. Long-standing geo-political tensions mean India won't send a team to Pakistan. So instead, India, which just about bankrolls the sport globally, will play its matches in the United Arab Emirates.

Why the hybrid hosting model?

India's top team hasn't played in Pakistan since 2008, and the two countries have tended to only compete against each other in major tournaments, including World Cups.

Pakistan traveled to India for the 50-over World Cup in 2023. But India's reluctance to return the favor put this Champions Trophy tournament in doubt before the sport's international governing body and both countries agreed on a solution. It's similar to when Pakistan hosted the 2023 Asian Cup but India played its tournament games in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan was subsequently awarded the 2028 Women's T20 World Cup and the International Cricket Council agreed in principle that Pakistan will also play its games at a neutral venue when India hosts ICC tournaments until 2027.

When the archrivals do meet each other in ICC tournaments, it tends to catch the attention of more than a billion cricket-mad fans.

The group game on Feb. 23 in Dubai will certainly fit into that category. Pakistan will host 10 games, including one semifinal. The final will be played at Lahore on March 9 if India doesn't qualify. Dubai is scheduled to host all three of India's group matches and a semifinal.

What is the Champions Trophy?

The eight-nation, limited-overs tournament hasn't been contested since 2017, when Pakistan beat India in the final in England.

The Champions Trophy was launched in 1998 and initially held every two years but later moved to a four-year cycle in between World Cups — the pinnacle in cricket's one-day format. International cricket has three main formats: test matches, which can last up to five days; one-dayers (or ODIs), where both teams are allocated 50 overs to bat and matches take up to 8 hours; and Twenty20s (or T20s), where both innings comprise 20 overs and games last just a few hours.

Pakistan was awarded the 2008 Champions Trophy, but due to security concerns the tournament was shifted to South Africa in 2009.

India was due to host the Champions Trophy in 2021, but it was replaced with the T20 World Cup and was played in the UAE.

The eight participating teams this time were based on rankings after the 2023 World Cup in India, with Pakistan qualifying automatically as host. India, New Zealand and Bangladesh are in Group A with host Pakistan. England, South Africa, Australia and Afghanistan are in Group B.

Two former Champions Trophy winners — Sri Lanka and the West Indies — didn't qualify for the ninth edition, which include 15 games across 19 days.

Boycott threat against Afghanistan

Politicians in England and South Africa urged their cricket authorities to boycott Champions Trophy group games against Afghanistan because of the Taliban's ban on women's sport and general erosion of women's rights.

South Africa's Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie last month said if the ultimate decision was his, then a South Africa vs. Afghanistan match "certainly would not happen." In a similar move, more than 160 politicians in Britain urged the England and Wales Cricket Board to take a stand and boycott the Feb. 26 game against Afghanistan at Lahore.

However, despite describing the "appalling oppression" of women in Afghanistan as "gender apartheid," English cricket administrators confirmed that the game will go ahead.

India favourites

India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh form Group A while Australia, England, Afghanistan and South Africa are in Group B.

Two teams from each group qualify for the semi-finals in Dubai and Lahore.

Pakistan are reigning champions, having defeated India in the final in 2017 at The Oval in London.

But it is two-time winners India who are favourites, with superstar batsman Virat Kohli hoping to overcome a poor run of form by his sky-high standards.

It could be the 36-year-old's last hurrah on the international stage, with captain Rohit Sharma also likely to retire after the tournament.

"India is playing superb all-round cricket and so are among the favourites for the Champions Trophy," former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar told AFP.

"The other teams, in my opinion, to watch out for are defending champions Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa." India will however be missing ace pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.

Australia beat hosts India to win the one-day World Cup in 2023 but they are missing several key players.

Their formidable pace attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are all out.

Coupled with the sudden retirement from ODIs of Marcus Stoinis and injury to Mitchell Marsh -- both key all-rounders -- and Australia suddenly look vulnerable.

They were well beaten 2-0 in Sri Lanka in a two-match series last week. Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy.  Pakistan will open the ninth edition of the Champions Trophy with a match against New Zealand in Karachi on Wednesday. The co-hosts are unpredictable, as they showed in the last edition of the tournament, losing to India by 124 runs in the opening match before winning the final against them by 180 runs.

England go into the competition under a cloud, having been outclassed by India in both a T20 and one-day series in the lead-up. 

With quality spinners led by Rashid Khan, Afghanistan are dangerous.

They shocked England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the 2023 ODI World Cup and reached the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup last year.AP