Former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton has said that the Rohit Sharma-led India has an “undeniable advantage” of playing all their matches in Dubai. India are playing all their matches — including the one against Pakistan — at a neutral venue in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Nasser Hussain was in particular in against of the proposed Hybrid model for the Champions Trophy 2025 and openly criticized it alongside Micheal Atherton.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 matter has finally been resolved as the tournament will be played in a hybrid model. Apart from the games of India and one semi-final, all the other games in the event will be taking place in Pakistan across three venues.
BCCI, PCB agree on hybrid model for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
The International Cricket Council (ICC) in January approved the hybrid model for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy, ending a month-long deadlock over the venue for the competition. This means that hosts and defending champions Pakistan will play India at Dubai
“India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue, the ICC board confirmed,” said a statement released by the global body.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will feature eight teams — Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa — divided in two groups of four followed by semi-finals and a final. India had refused to travel to Pakistan for the event due to security concerns. PCB had earlier declined to play the ICC Champions Trophy as per the hybrid model, but backed down after settling on neutral venues for both sides in ICC tournaments.
The hybrid model will also extend to next year’s women’s World Cup to be hosted in India and the men’s T20 World Cup 2026, to be organized jointly by India and Sri Lanka. In both competitions, the hybrid model will also apply to knockout games as well.
Pakistan will also host the 2028 women’s T20 World Cup, the first tournament of the next events cycle, and it remains to be seen whether the hybrid model will extend to that competition as well. The last edition of ICC Champions Trophy was held in 2017 which Pakistan won after beating India in the final.
The Champions Trophy controversy snowballed into a major crisis after the BCCI announced that the Indian team would not travel to Pakistan for the matches, tentatively scheduled from February 19 to March 9. This triggered a tripartite standoff involving the ICC, BCCI, and PCB. With Jay Shah assuming the role of ICC chairman during this period, it became the responsibility of the BCCI secretary to resolve the impasse.
Pakistan is set to host the 8-nation ICC event, their first since the 1996 World Cup, from February 19 to March 9. Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi will host the matches, while the Indian team’s matches will be played in Dubai. A semi-final and final will also be played in UAE, in case India qualifies.
India and Pakistan matches hosted by any nation at ICC Events during the 2024–2027 rights cycle will take place at a neutral location, the ICC executive board declared last week. Additionally, the PCB has been granted the right to host the 2028 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, with neutral venue agreements also being in place
India and New Zealand book their place in the finals to be played at Dubai
India’s spot in the semifinals of ICC Champions Trophy was confirmed following New Zealand’s victory over Bangladesh, the result also eliminating tournament hosts Pakistan from the event on Monday. India won their first two matches in convincing fashion, beating both Bangladesh and Pakistan by identical margin of six wickets. New Zealand, who too have registered two victories in as many matches, also advanced to the last four stage from Group A.
However Team India went one step ahead and also won their match vs New Zealand by 44 runs and marched into the finals by beating Australia by 4 wickets. On the other hand New Zealand, the next best squad alongside India reached the finals beating Pakistan , Bangladesh and South Africa with ease . Their only loss came against Team India in the group stage match. However Former English cricketer now commentator Nasser Hussain made a huge statement ahead of IND vs NZ 2025 Finals.
Nasser Hussain’s bold claim ahead of IND vs NZ 2025 Champions Trophy final
Former England captain Nasser Hussain has shared his thoughts on who will win the Champions Trophy 2025 final between India and New Zealand. Hussain feels New Zealand will not bottle it on this occasion, given that they have a handful of tough cricketers who give their best in every game.
Having locked horns in the group stage of the eight-team tournament, the two sides will meet again in the final on March 9, Sunday in Dubai. Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, will start as firm favorites as they are accustomed to the venue and have all bases covered in white-ball cricket. The Men in Blue are the only unbeaten side so far in this tournament.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the cricketer-turned-commentator Nasser Hussain recalled how Aaron Finch said the Black Caps aren’t a side that beat themselves and have some good players who stand up on the biggest stage. Nasser Hussain elaborated:
“They will not bottle it, they won’t choke. We were having dinner with [former Australia batter] Aaron Finch and he summed it up pretty well in saying New Zealand are never a side that beat themselves. And by that, he means that they will rock up and they will put in a performance.
All the way through the New Zealand lineup they have some very, very tough cricketers who turn up to every single game and give it their absolute best – that’s why they will always be there around semi-finals and finals.”
The Kiwis comprehensively defeated South Africa in the semi-finals hosted by the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. After centuries from Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra, skipper Mitchell Santner led from the front by taking three wickets. New Zealand restricted the Proteas to 312/9, winning by 50 runs.
Nasser Hussain also said Team India have to earn the win over the Kiwis in the tournament decider, adding:
“They also have that great mixture between senior pros that have been there year in, year out – like Kane Williamson, one of the all-time greats – and youth in the likes of Rachin Ravindra. They may well lose [New Zealand], but if they do, it will be because India beat them.”
New Zealand had notably beaten India in the ICC Knockout Trophy 2000.