Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has harshly criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for allegedly agreeing to the hybrid model for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. He says the deal was finalized long before the PCB made it public that it was accepting it.
India will likely play all of their games in the UAE under the hybrid plan, while the rest of the tournament will take place in Pakistan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said that their government would not let the team go to Pakistan because of safety concerns, which led to this decision.
In a recent interview, Shoaib Akhtar said he was unhappy with how the PCB handled things. He said that keeping the hosting rights was important, but the board should have pushed for better terms.
The PCB was right to retain revenue and hosting rights, but they should have demanded a larger share of the revenue,” Akhtar said. “If India was unwilling to play in Pakistan, then Pakistan deserved a better deal.
Shoaib Akhtar also said that the hybrid model was finished long before the PCB’s public approval, which suggests that the board’s earlier opposition was just for show.
In reality, the hybrid model had already been signed. The PCB should have taken a stronger position to secure better terms,” he asserted.
Akhtar talked about the bigger picture of cricket relations between Pakistan and India, not just the Champions Trophy. He pushed for a practical approach and told the PCB to keep good relationships and concentrate on competitive results.
Shoaib Akhtar also said:
My belief has always been simple: go to India and defeat them there. India mein khelo aur wahi unhe maarke aao (Play in India and beat them on their home ground)
Even though there has been no official announcement, a hybrid model is the most likely choice since it was used in the Asia Cup. The decision will likely hurt cricket fans like Shoaib Akhtar, but PCB had to find a middle ground to not split the cricketing world in two.
