KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)

Following a formal round of discussions with Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and Chairman of Emirates Cricket Board, the Pakistan Cricket Board has finally confirmed that some of the Champions Trophy matches will be held in the UAE, as reported exclusively last week by Aletihad.

The venues and dates for the revised hybrid model of the major tournament are now expected to be released by the world body, the International Cricket Council, after the original hosts had to go through a spate of discussions with the Indian board counterparts BCCI, the ECB and others while the clock is ticking for the tournament inked in for a February 19 start.

India and Pakistan cricket teams are bunched in the same group and must play each other as part of five matches in the round-robin stage. India has now asked to play their matches in Dubai, a nod for which has now materialised.

At loggerheads over the years on the political front, the crisis started – not for the first time – when India refused to tour Pakistan for the tournament.

Hectic parleys for over a month have resulted in a compromise being agreed upon, though the practical decisions from a logistical perspective remain, should India qualify for the knockout stages.

It is understood that Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak's visit also entailed assurances over such aspects of the tournament while also looking into the matter of visas for visiting cricket fans for the tournament, the gate revenue and to remain on standby for other arrangements. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak spoke with PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister in Pakistan's ruling government,  in Sardargarh, Ghotki district, in the state of Sindh.

"The PCB has chosen the UAE as the neutral venue and the PCB has formally informed the ICC about the decision. Now, India and Pakistan's Champions Trophy matches will be held in the UAE," PCB spokesman Alam Mir said in an emailed statement. "The final decision was made after a meeting between Mohsin Naqvi and Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak."

As part of the compromise, PCB has agreed to blink one more time, but also has received assurances that the same policy will be applied even when India hosts major ICC events running until 2028. Also a tri-nation or quadrangular tournament will be organised at a neutral venue, featuring India, Pakistan and the host country, most likely for the women cricketers.

This could most probably mean that the UAE women's cricket team will be pitchforked into the limelight.

Earlier on December 19, the ICC said it had given its sanction to keep a uniform formula to have neutral venues for India-Pakistan games at the global events for the next three years. A statement said: "The ICC Board has approved that matches between India and Pakistan played at ICC Events during the current rights cycle from 2024 to 2027 [which are to be hosted in India or Pakistan] will be played at a neutral venue proposed by the tournament host. This will apply to the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 [Pakistan], ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 [India] and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 [India and Sri Lanka]."