ICC to move Champions Trophy out of Pakistan?

The International Cricket Council is considering moving next year's ICC Champions Trophy out of Pakistan or could host the tournament in a hybrid model which could see India play all their games in the United Arab Emirates.

The hosting rights stay with Pakistan for now but ICC is exploring some options for the tournament to be held in February-March next year, sources told ANI.

The sources claimed that currently ICC is looking to have the tournament to be fully played in Pakistan as per the original plan. But at the same time, they are also looking at the hybrid model, wherein the matches involving India could be held in the UAE.

It is believed that India is unlikely to get the government's clearance to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.

ICC could also consider

a third option which is to shift the entire Champions Trophy out of Pakistan, with Dubai, Sri Lanka or South Africa as the possible options.

India and Pakistan only play each other at ICC events. India have not travelled to Pakistan for bilateral cricket since 2008 following the Mumbai terror attacks in which over 150 people were killed.

Last year's Asia Cup, hosted by Pakistan, was played as per a hybrid model allowing India to play all its matches in Sri Lanka. As a result, the island nation hosted nine games while Pakistan hosted the remaining four matches.

Pakistan has not hosted any major ICC event since the 1996 World Cup, which was co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. They were also scheduled to co-host the 2011 World Cup but following the terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009, they were stripped of the hosting rights.

Pakistan has travelled to India three times for a limited overs series in 2012-2013, for the T20 World Cup in 2016 and the ODI World Cup last year when they played matches in Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.