ICC Grants $65M Budget For Champions Trophy 2025, Plan B ready for India’s participation

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Although the International Cricket Council (ICC) has not yet released an official statement, it is ready to cover every possibility in the event that the Indian squad decides not to play for the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan the following year. At its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Colombo, the ICC recently authorized a budget of almost $65 million, according to sources. The expenses involved by hosting a few games outside of Pakistan are covered by this fund.

The Champions Trophy 2025 is set to take place between February 19 and March 9, as Cricket Craze initially revealed on July 10. Although Cricket Craze is aware that the controversial subject of India’s participation or absence from the Champions Trophy 2025 was not brought up in any of the ICC AGM’s forums, an alternate strategy has been developed just in case.

According to the permission notice from the Chief Executives Committee (CEC), “PCB has signed the host agreement and collaborated with management to draft an event budget, which is submitted to F&CA for approval.” In the event that it becomes necessary to play certain matches outside of Pakistan, the management has also approved an estimate of the rise in staging costs. But the locations “outside Pakistan” were not mentioned by the ICC.

The CEC adds, “In March 2024, a planning meeting and an inspection of suggested match locations were held in Pakistan. All locations are undergoing extensive improvements that will enhance their facilities. The designated locations are Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi, and it has been reported that the PCB has started work on renovating those three venues.

Budget For ICC Champions Trophy 2025

It is understood that about $35 million has been put aside for the Champions Trophy 2025 itself, and an additional $20 million has been set aside for prize money and participation. An extra $10 million has been authorized to cover broadcasting expenditures related to the live broadcast of the 20-day, 15-match event.

The budget estimate was developed during a three-day visit to Lahore in June by Ankur Khanna, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the ICC, and Javed Murtuza, the CFO of the PCB, to discuss the matter, as Sources previously disclosed.

A draft schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has reportedly been distributed by the ICC to all those who are interested, including broadcasters and the participating teams. For the most part, the draft timetable satisfies expectations. Every Indian match is slated to take place in Lahore, with the much awaited India-Pakistan encounter taking place on Saturday, March 1. Group A also includes Bangladesh and New Zealand, along with India and Pakistan. South Africa, Afghanistan, England, and Australia make up Group B.

The remaining matches for India have been scheduled for February 20 versus Bangladesh and February 23 versus New Zealand. On February 19 in Karachi, the competition will begin with Pakistan, the hosts, taking on New Zealand. The final is scheduled for Lahore on March 9; the two semifinals will take place on March 5 in Karachi and March 6 in Pindi. However, the locations could vary based on the Indian team’s and the Indian government’s decision. Next month, a team from the ICC will visit Pakistan to inspect all three places.