ICC Likely To Strip Pakistan's Champions Trophy Hosting Rights As SENA Nation Emerges As Alternate

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have received another major blow in their bid to host a major ICC tournament for the first time in 29 years. Pakistan is supposed to host the Champions Trophy 2025 starting from February 19th, but that is in jeopardy after India's refusal to travel to Pakistan for the tournament. 

Amidst suggestions of Pakistan hosting the event in an hybrid model, PCB is at risk of losing the hosting rights of the Champions Trophy in its entirety after a possibility of a SENA country hosting the event has emerged. 

Pakistan to lose Champions Trophy hosting rights?  

According to several media reports, the PCB has rejected ICC's proposal of hosting the event in a hybrid mode after BCCI's refusal of the Indian Cricket Team's travel to Pakistan. With PCB rejecting the proposal, the ICC is now weighing up the possibility of stripping Pakistan's hosting rights and move the 2025 Champions Trophy to South Africa. 

ICC tabled to Pakistan the option of a hybrid mode in which India would've played their games either in UAE or Sri Lanka. However, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was adamant that the entirety of tournament be hosted in Pakistan and looked to reject the proposal. 

Given these developments, the ICC might award the Champions Trophy hosting rights to South Africa. 

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According to a report by Dawn, it has emerged that Pakistan Government might suggest PCB to completely withdraw from the Champions Trophy if their hosting rights are stripped.  

The last time a major ICC tournament was held in Pakistan was back Cricket World Cup back in 1996. ICC was supposed to hold a 100-day countdown event till the Champions Trophy in Lahore on November 11th but that event was also cancelled last minute.  

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If they participate in the Champions Trophy 2025, then Pakistan will enter the tournament as the defending Champions having beaten India in the final back in 2017, but as things stand their hosting and participation in the tournament is in major doubt.