Dubai, 28 Nov

The International Cricket Council finds itself in a spot of bother as its all-powerful board meets on Friday to thrash out the long-awaited schedule of next year's Champions Trophy with an unyielding Pakistan refusing to consider the 'Hybrid' model of hosting the event despite India's refusal to play there.

The meeting will be held virtually. India's decision not to send the team to Pakistan and the PCB's defiant stand in not acceding to the hybrid system have placed the future of the marquee event in balance.

"At this point, the hybrid format is the best option. We hope that all the parties involved will take a wise call for the sake of the tournament. It's not good for the tournament to have it without India and Pakistan," a source close to the development told PTI.

The ICC members are trying to sell the point to the PCB that without the blue riband India vs Pakistan fixture, the Champions Trophy will lose all its sheen and, more importantly, there will be massive financial implications.

The host broadcaster — Jio Star — has already contacted the ICC top brass to convey its dismay at the delay in arriving at a final decision regarding the schedule.

As per the contract between the ICC and the broadcaster, the governing body was expected to give it the schedule of the tournament at least 90 days in advance and that deadline has already been breached.

So, will the members discuss the possibility of placing India and Pakistan in different groups in the league stage of the tournament to avoid Men in Blue's travel to the neighbouring country?

"I don't think the television rights holders will agree to that. They will demand an India vs Pakistan match in the group stage itself as an assured way to raise the profile and monetary income, and it will be a bonus if the teams then meet in the knockouts," the source said.

"Even otherwise, if India enters the knockout stage, it will have to be taken out of Pakistan as BCCI has already made its stand clear. So, the discussion will be around the hybrid model."

India have not toured Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which killed more than 150 people. The latest refusal to travel has been blamed on security concerns and the ICC has stated more than once that it does not expect any member board to go against government advice.

Political unrest puts PCB on sticky wicket

The Sri Lanka A team's tour to Pakistan had to be cut short a couple of days ago due to intense political protests in Islamabad.

The turmoil is because of a protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, which belongs to former captain and prime minister Imran Khan. There were incidents of clashes and violence reported between protestors and forces of law enforcement and security.

PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, also the federal interior minister, had announced that the army was called in to quell the unrest.

But when it comes to the Champions Trophy, the PCB has remained firm on having the event there. "All I can assure is whatever happens in the meeting we will come out with good news and decisions which will be accepted by our people," Naqvi told reporters at Karachi on Wednesday night.

So, the primary target of the ICC members will be to make PCB embrace the 'Hybrid' model, at least for the league stage, in all likelihood, in the UAE and the knockouts in Pakistan.

But if India advance further in the event, then the knockouts, the matches in which India feature, too might have to be shifted back to the venue of the league matches.

However, what if the PCB remains rigid and decides to pull out of the Champions Trophy in the event of ICC deciding to take it to a neutral venue? "It's a very unlikely scenario. It can have very far reaching consequences for Pakistan cricket, which is not at its best in terms of financial health. India is set to host a few tournaments in the next couple of years.

"If Pakistan decides to boycott the Champions Trophy, then they will also have to boycott tournaments to be held in India, which in turn, can bring a lot of financial liabilities to PCB," he added.

India are set to play host to the Asia Cup (2025), the women's World Cup (2025) and the men's T20 World Cup (2026), this event jointly with Sri Lanka.