Pakistan cricket is great Wasim Akram surprised his compatriots with his appearance at the recent Coke Studio event. With the Champions Cup in hand, Akram thanked the crowd for staying seated and spoke of his high expectations for next year’s event. While the International Cricket Council (ICC) is yet to finalize the model for the tournament as well as its schedule, Akram seems confident that the entire tournament will be hosted in the country next year.
“I would like to thank everyone. Your passion is a typical Pakistani passion. This is the Champions Cup, which is being held in Pakistan,” Akram said. Further during his speech, the legendary speedster said that “Pakistan is ready to host the Champions Cup.”
– I liked the atmosphere and the passion of the audience… #Cokestudio X #Champions Trophy × #ICC pic.twitter.com/vWZfRgz2yv
— Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) December 10, 2024
The future of the Champions Cup remained in doubt after India took a stand against sending the men’s team to Pakistan for the marquee event next year, citing “security reasons”. On the other hand, Pakistan remains adamant about holding the entire tournament without the prospect of a hybrid model.
After weeks of impasse, recent reports suggest a potential breakthrough has been made regarding the future of the Champions Trophy.
According to recent reports, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have reached an agreement in principle to adopt a hybrid model for global tournaments hosted in Pakistan or India until 2027.
This model will allow both countries to play their games in ICC tournaments hosted by the other country at a neutral venue. While sources confirmed the agreement to ESPNcricinfo, the PCB, the official organizer of the 2025 Champions Trophy, has not publicly commented on the development and only said that discussions are ongoing.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the agreement was reached following meetings between new ICC chairman Jay Shah and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi in Dubai.
These discussions took place at the same time as a polite board meeting organized by Shah during his visit to the ICC headquarters in his new role. A formal board meeting to discuss the Champions Trophy was scheduled for Saturday, but the meeting was postponed.
With ANI inputs
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