The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officially confirmed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the neutral venue for the highly anticipated ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025.
This announcement was made by PCB spokesperson Aamir Mir, who revealed that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has been informed of the venue decision.
In a statement, Aamir Mir shared, "The Champions Trophy matches between India and Pakistan will be held in the UAE, as decided after a meeting between Mohsin Naqvi and Sheikh Nahyan. The decision for a neutral venue had to be made by the host, Pakistan."
The final decision to host the tournament in the UAE follows important discussions between Mohsin Naqvi and Sheikh Nahyan, who is currently in Pakistan.
This decision is part of a broader arrangement where matches between India and Pakistan at ICC events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at neutral locations, ensuring logistical and security feasibility.
The ‘fusion formula’ will apply to major ICC tournaments after Champions Trophy, including the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (to be hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka).
Under this formula, the knockout stage matches, including the final, will be played at neutral venue if India and Pakistan qualify.
The PCB has also been awarded hosting rights for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028.