India and Pakistan agreed to ‘Hybrid Model’, matches will be played at this neutral venue
India and Pakistan
There is confusion regarding Champions Trophy 2025. Ever since the Indian team has refused to go to Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been in a panic. A big news has come to light amid the ongoing controversy regarding the Champions Trophy. Actually, India has got the hosting rights of Women’s T20 World Cup. The interesting thing is that both India and Pakistan have agreed to conduct this tournament on the basis of ‘hybrid model’. This big decision has been taken in the annual general meeting of the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) in Multan.
It was decided to hold the inaugural Blind Women’s T20 World Cup to be held in India next year on the basis of ‘hybrid model’ in which Pakistan will play its matches in Nepal or Sri Lanka. The move comes just weeks after India had decided to withdraw from the Men’s T20 Blind Cricket World Cup in Pakistan due to security reasons.
India got hosting
The rights to host the women’s tournament were awarded to India last year and were confirmed at the annual general meeting on Monday in which 11 member countries were present. India, England and New Zealand attended the meeting virtually. GK Mahantesh, president of the Association of Blind Cricket in India (CABI), told PTI that the right to host the tournament was given to India only last year (2023). At that time it was also decided that if there is a visa problem for the Pakistan team to come to India, then the tournament will be organized in ‘hybrid model’. Pakistan will play all its matches at neutral venues.
Pakistan team will play on neutral venue
When asked where Pakistan’s matches would be held, Mahantesh said that Pakistan’s blind women’s team will remain either in Nepal or Sri Lanka during the entire tournament. He said that the Indian team will go to Nepal or Sri Lanka to play against them. Our cricket board will bear the expenses of the entire tournament. We will bear the entire expense of the Pakistani team’s stay in either of these two countries. Let us tell you, CABI is neither recognized by the Indian Cricket Board nor by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
(Inputs- PTI)
