LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its Indian counterpart have agreed on the “fusion” model as the solution to the longstanding deadlock between the two bodies over next year’s ICC Champions Trophy.

The model will see India play their matches of the tournament — set to be held in Pakistan from Feb. 19 to Mar. 9 — at neutral venues, while Pakistan would do the same when India hosts the 2025 Women’s World Cup and the 2026 T20 World Cup.

The agreement over the “fusion” model finally puts an end to deliberations between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the PCB that lasted more than a month with organisers International Cricket Council (BCCI) and broadcasters involved.

Although Pakistan were awarded the hosting rights of the Champions Trophy in 2021, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had communicated to the ICC last month about the country’s government’s refusal to send its team across the border for the eight-team tournament.

The unofficial correspondence had given rise to doubts over the fate of the Champions Trophy while also delaying the announcement of its schedule, which was initially set for Nov. 20.

The “fusion” model was proposed by the PCB as a tit-for-tat version of the hybrid model, which India preferred to be adopted before the PCB, backed by the government of Pakistan, demanded things to be done on equal terms.

Well informed sources told Dawn on Friday that the BCCI had referred the “fusion” model to the Indian government and got it approved. The decision will be announced officially by the ICC “in a couple of days” according to the source.

No PCB official was ready to comment on the development, still waiting for any such signals from the ICC.

“The PCB will stay silent on the issue until it gets a final nod from the ICC,” an official of the board told Dawn on the condition of anonymity.

The “fusion” model will also be implemented even if both India and Pakistan qualify for the semi-final or final of ICC’s tournaments until 2027, the year which marks the end of the current ICC media rights agreement.

The model will continue to be adopted even after 2027 if the political relations between India stay strained by that time.

Amid political tensions between the two neighbours, the BCCI has stood firm by the Indian government’s policy of not engaging with Pakistan in terms of bilateral cricket over the years.

However, after having played the last bilateral series against each other in 2012, Pakistan and India have competed in ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup. Pakistan, in fact, visited India to feature in the ICC World Cup last year.

The visit, if anything, heightened expectations of India returning the favour by touring Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. But with that not being a realistic possibility, the “fusion” model seems to be the sustainable way to go forward.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2024