Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali felt the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would end up losers if they accepted to a reported compromise deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC), terming that the offer to host the women’s World Cup in 2027 was nothing but a ‘lollipop’ from the global body.
As a concession, the ICC, BCCI and PCB have also agreed that the Pakistan men's team won't travel to India for their league game against the hosts in the T20 World Cup 2026 and will instead play the match in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
According to multiple sources, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is currently in the UAE, lobbying for Pakistan’s cause, has put forward a list of conditions, in a bid to help Pakistan retain the hosting rights of the marque tournament.
The impasse over the 2025 Champions Trophy continued as the all-powerful ICC board meeting failed to reach a consensus after meeting virtually for a little over 20 minutes on Friday, and is likely to meet again over the weekend to find a solution.
With fewer than 100 days left until the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be hosted in Pakistan, the tournament's dates and fixtures remain unannounced, adding to the mounting uncertainty surrounding the event.
The temperamental pacer demanded an apology from Rizvi for trying to "publicly humiliate, degrade, defame and ridicule" him.
The officials of both the Pakistan Cricket Board and England and Wales Cricket Board will be having an online meeting on Friday.
"The solution to this problem is very confusing," Raja said.
The new list of contracted players is being finalised by a committee that includes PCB CEO, Wasim Khan, Director International Cricket Operations, Zakir Khan and the head coach and chief selector, Misbah-ul-Haq.
Umar Akmal was charged with two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents on March 17.
