In a departure from the tradition, the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will not feature the captains’ meet and official photoshoot, a practice typically held in the host country ahead of major ICC tournaments.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the decision is attributed to logistical challenges as the tournament will be held in two countries. With tight scheduling, teams will arrive in Pakistan just before the competition begins. Notably, Australia is set to land on February 19, the same day as the opening match.

Advertisement

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that neither the ICC nor the board had announced an official opening ceremony. However, an event supported by the ICC will take place in Lahore on February 16, three days before the tournament’s first match. ICC officials present in Lahore at the time are expected to attend.

The decision also brings an end to speculations around India skipper Rohit Sharma’s travel to Pakistan, which will host its first global event since 1996. Due to political tensions, India has not played in Pakistan since 2008 and will compete in the tournament under a hybrid model, with all their matches—including a potential final—being played in Dubai.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently said that Rohit’s travel to Pakistan for a captains’ event had not been discussed and was not on the agenda.

Meanwhile, there was a similar arrangement in the build-up to the most recent Champions Trophy – in the United Kingdom in 2017 – though there was a captain’s event and official photoshoot.

Incidentally, the ICC did not organise a captains’ event ahead of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, which was played across the Caribbean and the USA. With teams playing warm-up matches in several countries, the ICC instead opted to do the official launch virtually featuring all 20 captains beaming onto New York City’s Rockefeller Center building.

Meanwhile, the PCB is set to inaugurate two newly refurbished stadiums. The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, undergoing a significant revamp, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on February 7, a day before it hosts the first ODI of a tri-series involving South Africa and New Zealand. The National Stadium in Karachi will be inaugurated by the country’s President Asif Ali Zardari on February 11.