The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, has made it clear that the board is not open to using a hybrid model for the upcoming Champions Trophy in February next year. Instead, the PCB is fully focused on hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan.

India has refused to travel to Pakistan due to political issues between the two countries. This was also the case during the 2023 Asia Cup, where India did not play in Pakistan, even though Pakistan was the host. Instead, India played its matches in Sri Lanka as part of a hybrid arrangement.

Speaking in Lahore, Naqvi explained, “For the past two months, Indian media has been saying India won’t come to Pakistan. I’ve discussed this with my team, and we are firm on our stance: India must give us written reasons for any objections they have. So far, there has been no formal discussion about any hybrid model, and we are not accepting it. The Indian media may be reporting on this, but no official word has come to us.”

Naqvi also highlighted how Pakistan traveled to India for the 2023 ODI World Cup, calling it a “great gesture” from Pakistan.

“If we receive an official letter from India, I will take it to my government for further decisions. Pakistan has extended goodwill gestures toward India in the past, but they shouldn’t always expect such friendly moves if they refuse to come here. The government will decide whether Pakistan travels to India for any future events if India doesn’t come here for the Champions Trophy. This isn’t a decision for the PCB alone.”

Pakistan and India haven’t played a full bilateral series since Pakistan’s limited-overs tour of India in 2012-13. The last time they faced each other in a red-ball Test match was back in 2007.