ICC approves CT 2025 budget
Delegates from cricket boards around the world attend the annual ICC meeting in Colombo where some key decisions were made. PHOTO: AFP
At the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) annual meeting in Colombo, the budget for the 2025 Champions Trophy was officially approved.
According to a local media report, this approval was granted on the final day of the meeting. Pakistan, the host nation for the event, was represented by Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi, who was present at the meeting. The budget was meticulously prepared by ICC Chief Finance Officer Ankur Khanna and PCB Chief Finance Officer Javed Murtaza.
Despite circulating rumors about potential alternative venues or a backup plan, the PCB remains adamant about hosting all Champions Trophy 2025 matches within Pakistan. Recent reports suggested that the Indian cricket team might play their matches at a neutral venue, rather than traveling to Pakistan. However, the PCB is firm in its position that the entire event should be staged in Pakistan.
The ICC meeting in Colombo, held from July 19 to 22, saw the PCB delegation advocating strongly for this stance. The PCB has designated three venues for the eight-match tournament: Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore. According to the PCB’s proposed schedule, all of India’s matches are set to take place in Lahore.
Additionally, the PCB has allocated Rs12.80 billion for the enhancement of the three stadiums: Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi, and Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium. These upgrades are planned in preparation for the marquee event.
The Champions Trophy is scheduled to run from February 19 to March 9, 2025.
During the conference, the ICC Board announced a review of the delivery of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
The ICC Annual Conference concluded in Colombo on Monday, bringing together all 108 ICC Members for the ICC Board and ICC Annual General Meeting.
The four-day conference, themed “capitalizing on the Olympic opportunity” ahead of cricket’s inclusion in LA28, took place just days before the start of the Paris 24 Olympics.
During the conference, the ICC Board announced a review of the delivery of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. This review will be overseen by three directors—Roger Twose, Lawson Naidoo, and Imran Khwaja—who will report back to the Board later this year.
USA Cricket and Cricket Chile have been given a 12-month notice to address their current non-compliance with the ICC Membership Criteria. Both members are currently lacking adequate governance and administrative structures.
The ICC Americas office will assist Cricket Chile in resolving their issues. A Normalisation Committee, composed of Board and Management representatives, will be established to monitor USA Cricket’s compliance roadmap, with the ICC Board reserving the right to suspend or expel the Member for ongoing non-compliance.
The Chief Executives’ Committee has confirmed the allocation of eight regional qualifying spots for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Two teams will qualify from Africa and Europe, one from the Americas, and three from a combined Asia and EAP regional final.
In its commitment to equity across men’s and women’s cricket, the ICC also confirmed the expansion of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup from 12 to 16 teams starting in 2030. The qualification cut-off date for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 qualifier has been set for 31 October 2024.
Furthermore, the CEC approved the appointment of Paul Reiffel to the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee as the Elite Panel representative.