Dubai. The blurred picture on the Champion Trophy (ICC Champions Trophy 2025) to be held in February-March has now become clear. On Thursday, the ICC made it clear that the tournament will be held in Pakistan and India will play all the matches of this tournament at a neutral venue as per its announcement. The same arrangement will be applicable for Pakistan till 2027 and it will play the ICC tournaments to be held in India at neutral venues.

The ICC said in a statement, 'The ICC Board has approved that all matches to be played between India and Pakistan in ICC tournaments during the current cycle (to be held in India or Pakistan) from 2024 to 2027 will be played at a neutral venue proposed by the tournament host.'

This arrangement will apply to the Champions Trophy 2025 (Pakistan), the Women's Cricket World Cup to be held in India next year and the T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka in 2026. India had refused to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy to be held in February-March due to security concerns.

India has not played any match in Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The ICC said, 'The schedule of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be announced soon.'

Earlier, after this decision of India, Pakistan was showing its firm stand and it was not agreeing with India playing the matches in a neutral country. It said that it has taken the hosting from ICC and according to this, India should come to Pakistan and play because in the past it has also played in ICC tournaments in India, which includes the 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup. But when India did not budge from its stand, it took this decision.