Dubai locked as venue for Pak vs Ind matches

The cricket board chiefs of Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed on Dubai as the neutral venue for the Pakistan-India match of the upcoming Champions Trophy. This decision is in keeping with the 'fusion formula' established by the International Cricket Council (ICC), according to a media report. The consensus was reached in a meeting between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Chairman Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan overnight. The report said that Board of Control for Cricket in India had been conveyed the decision. "Pakistan has chosen Dubai as the neutral venue for the Champions Trophy and it has been conveyed to the ICC officially, meaning India will play its matches there," said a PCB spokesman. The ICC is expected to announce a final tournament schedule later next week. On December 13, the ICC had approved the 'fusion formula' proposed by Pakistan for the Men's Champions Trophy 2025 and the upcoming events, hosted either by Pakistan or India. As a result, India would play their matches of the eight-team tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In return, the Green Shirts will not travel to India for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 and thus their matches will also take place in Sri Lanka – the co-host of the tournament – including the blockbuster Pakistan-India clash. Pakistan will host the eight-team ICC Men's Champions Trophy from February 19 to March 9. Besides Pakistan and India, the event will also feature Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Though the schedule of the event was yet to be announced, the high-octane match between Pakistan and India would likely be played on February 23 in Dubai, sources said. During the meeting between Naqvi and Al Nahayan, the two sides reached consensus to lock the UAE as the neutral venue for Champions Trophy. Some reports indicated that the ICC would provide Pakistan an additional $4.5 million to cover the costs of hosting India's matches outside Pakistan. As part of the preparation, the National Stadium in Karachi was being renovated for the upcoming mega event, which, according to the sources, will kick off the tournament with the inaugural match between Pakistan and New Zealand on February 19. The PCB chief visited the stadium late on Saturday night and inspected the work on different floors. He directed for expediting the installation of score screen and LED lights. He was informed that the LED lights were being installed and that a new screen would be installed by January 25. Naqvi said the new stadium building would be completed within a month, with a parking space for 2,700 vehicles. He added that the stadium's fences were being replaced to avoid blocking of the view of live action during matches. "A tri-nation series could be hosted at the National Stadium ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025," he announced. The sources said that before the tournament begins, a six-day support period will be held from February 12 to 18 for teams' arrivals, practice sessions, and other preparations. As per the tentative schedule of the tournament, three matches each will be played in Rawalpindi and Karachi, while Lahore will host five matches, including one semi-final and the final. The Pakistan-India games, if India qualify for the final, are expected to take place at the neutral venue, Dubai. However, if India do not reach the final, the final will be played in Lahore on March 9, with a reserve day allocated for the match. This schedule sets the stage for an exciting tournament, with Pakistan hosting international cricket on home soil alongside matches at a neutral venue.

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