India vs Pak Champions Trophy match in Dubai? Fingers crossed.

The suspense is over, finally, as the ICC has announced the Champions Trophy in 2025 will be a hybrid model. And the best part, India will not travel to Pakistan but play matches at a neutral venue. For almost a month, the storm has been raging over a premier tournament with dates and venues not finalised. The ICC press release on Thursday makes it clear the tournament, in ODI format, will be hybrid.

There has been plenty of suspense on Pakistan as a host. Stadia work is incomplete, there is political turmoil in the country and terror incidents plus arson have been increasing. Against this backdrop, the Indian political establishment was emphatic, travelling to Pakistan was impossible. If it needed a reiteration, it happened most emphatically.

One small change which India insisted on and have won is playing Pakistan at a neutral venue. In all probability, it will be Dubai. Even in this, for no rhyme or reason, Pakistan wants to play India in Colombo, says the grapevine. Given India’s clout in global cricket, the final say will be with the ICC. Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi are good cricket centres with bests security facilities, so it should get the nod.

Interestingly, as per the new agreement, India and Pakistan will not also play cricket in India, when the biggest democracy in the world is the host for the next three years. The 2025 ODI World Cup for women is in 2025, with India as the host. In 2026, India will host the ICC T20 World Cup. The old charm of an India vs Pakistan cricket match is definitely losing charm, mainly because the Men in Green have been losing often. The number of times India has beaten Pakistan in the ODI format and T20 is high. For those who dream of an India vs Pakistan Test series in a neutral venue, that will never happen. India is very clear terror and cricket cannot go hand in hand.

In many ways, Pakistan refusing to come to India is also good news. The amount of security hassles and preparations for ensuring law and order has been taxing. India always took good care of Pakistan but if they believe a tit-for-tat will work, they are the losers. India has no such problem and fans also will be more than happy to fly to Dubai. It is definitely more affordable than in the past, with so many tour packages coming up. Off-shore cricket began in Sharjah over four decades ago. That the UAE is now a preferred venue and India has very good relations with them is also good news. 

If Sharjah was a success at that time in the  80s, India vs Pakistan matches were played in a friendly atmosphere. The relations now between the UAE and India are much more close so tourism and cricket becomes a great mix. How Dubai has emerged as a great cricket destination is itself a great story. What was considered a desert once upon a time has fantastic infrastructure. The ground may be hard, as the soil base is sand. Yet, on TV, it looks as green as any other venue. The playing surface is slower.

For the UAE to emerge as a unanimous, neutral venue is a clear sign, be it the Covid pandemic or any trouble, the best option comes up so easily. The ICC headquarters is also based in Dubai, so many things fall in place. For those who have seen India versus Pakistan contests, the hype is massive. The end result has been more in favour of India, which is a sign of more consistency. Sample this, how India have bounced back in the BGT Series in Australia is also a sign of the team bonding well. For the record, as per original plans, Rohit Sharma will be the ODI captain and Virat Kohli will also play. Cricket cannot get bigger than this, though R.Ashwin retiring has created a big flutter.