India’s captain Rohit Sharma plays a shot during a ODI cricket match of the ICC Champions Trophy between India and Bangladesh, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, in Dubai, UAE, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI

India captain Rohit Sharma on Thursday became the second fastest batter after compatriot Virat Kohli to complete 11,000 runs in One-day Internationals during their Champions Trophy clash against Bangladesh here.

Rohit is only the fourth Indian and 10th batter overall to reach the mark in the 50-over format.

The skipper achieved the feat in the fourth over of India’s chase of 229 in their Group A match when he hit Mustafizur Rahman over mid-on for a boundary.

The seasoned opener reached the mark in his 270th game, and is the second fastest behind Kohli to cross 11,000 runs in terms of innings.

Kohli had crossed the 11,000-run mark in 222 innings while Rohit has brought up that many runs in 261 innings. In this list, they are followed by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar (276 innings), Ricky Ponting (286) and Sourav Ganguly (288).

Rohit is now placed behind former India captain Ganguly (11,363 runs) in the list of overall highest run-scorers in ODI cricket, with Tendulkar cemented firmly at the top position with 18,246 runs in 463 matches.

Kohli, who has 13,963 runs in his 299 ODIs, entered this game only 37 short of becoming only the third player in the history to make 14,000 runs in 50-overs cricket.

In terms of most ODI runs, former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara is placed second with 14,234 runs in 404 matches.

One of the most successful batters in the format at the top of the order, Rohit is also second in the list of hitting most sixes with 338 hits over the fence behind Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi (351).

Rohit averages nearly 50 in the format with 32 centuries and 52 half-centuries.

In the list of highest run-scorers, Rohit is followed by former captains Rahul Dravid (10,889 runs) and MS Dhoni (10,773), with India having as many as six batters in an overall list of 15 batters to have crossed the coveted 10,000-run mark in ODI cricket.

The weirdest international cricket tournament is set to commence this week. Relevance? Well, television wants it. More importantly, it provides an opportunity for an India-Pakistan match which can only be played either at the two World Cups (T20 and 50-over) or at the Champions Trophy. Other teams can be forgiven for thinking they merely make up the numbers.

At least twice before — in 2013 and 2017 — it had been decided that that year’s tournament would be the last one. For eight years the Champions Trophy lay unloved and uncared for till it was determined that the love and care should return.

And return it did, to Pakistan, where the last International Cricket Council tournament was the World Cup in 1996. Were rules made on the fly? England discovered just in time during the 2023 World Cup in India that only teams finishing in the top eight would qualify. Many teams assumed it would be teams one to eight in the ICC rankings as before.

The tournament being held in Pakistan is either good news or bad depending on which aspects of their national team the hosts adapt — the confusion and insecurity or the skill and assurance.

Questions over the final

So, where will the final be played? We don’t know. How exciting! Another layer of uncertainty in a game of uncertainties. It could be in Lahore if it involves countries other than India. Dubai, if it involves India who had made it clear they wouldn’t travel to Pakistan for the tournament. In the balance of cravings, Pakistan needed the tournament more than India did. Next year, the T20 World Cup will be held in India, and Pakistan have threatened not to travel here. But no sensible betting man would put his money on their pulling out. Quid pro quo threats work only among equals.

India are scheduled to host the Champions Trophy in 2029 (unless the ICC decides, sensibly, that the tournament serves no purpose and throws television a different bone). Four years is a long time in sport, so let’s not worry now.

In the 80s and early 90s, when the host country kept the profits from the 50-over World Cup, the ICC was close to bankruptcy. When India’s Jagmohan Dalmiya took over as ICC President in 1997, it had $20,000 in its kitty. When his term ended in 2000, the ICC had over $15 million.

Dalmiya introduced the Champions Trophy where the money went to the ICC. It also helped him give the associate countries a bigger share of the pie. This helped India earn more money, greater influence, and also in building a ‘vote bank’ where non-Test countries voted with India.

The Champions Trophy having achieved its aims, both the stated one of finance and the unstated one of support, now finds no justification to exist. India threatened to pull out of the last tournament (in England) because they were unhappy with their share of the ICC money. There has been talk in recent years of converting the Champions Trophy into a T20 tournament. That doesn’t make sense either.

Less than two weeks after the final of the Champions Trophy, the IPL is scheduled to begin in India. It will be interesting to see how many players who have pulled out of the tournament in Pakistan and Dubai with injuries or otherwise will recover miraculously in time for the IPL. My money is on the Australian bowlers.

Strain on stars

The biggest argument against an irrelevant tournament, of course, is the additional strain on the players. Cricket boards and players are constantly complaining about playing too much cricket, reduced time with family and shortened careers as a result of the physical demands of the game. Then why add to the calendar?

Indian fans might gripe about missing Jasprit Bumrah, their trump card in any tournament. But the selectors know there are more important playing days ahead — the five-Test series in the English summer being the highlight.

India have the best all-round team even without Bumrah. If they win the tournament which they last did in 2013, it might erase some of the pain of the 1-3 Test series defeat in Australia. But for some, a victory on Sunday against Pakistan might be sufficient.

The last thing a country wants after bagging the hosting rights for a global sports tournament is to not be ready on time. As things stand right now, Pakistan find themselves staring at that worst-case scenario as it races against time to complete work on venues scheduled to host the non-India Champions Trophy matches. It has already missed two deadlines—December 31 and January 25—and now looks set to miss the third one as well, on January 31. According to reports from the country, Pakistan will now try to finish the renovation work at Lahore’s Gaddafi stadium by February 2. 

A few reports have suggested that the PCB were forced to restrict the entry of journalists at stadiums in Karachi and Lahore to save face. Also, as of January 25, work for the seats and digital screens was reportedly still incomplete at the Gaddafi stadium, which is scheduled to host four matches, including the Australia vs England clash on February 22 and the second semi-final on March 5. A raft of videos on social media, filmed by ordinary people, show the sorry state of the venues currently.

Why ICC Is Responsible Too

Interestingly, the focus shifted to the state of the stadiums only after the issue of India not willing to travel to Pakistan was settled. The powers that be in the PCB could have perhaps spent a little more energy trying to hasten the pace of work rather than trying to ensure that all matches are played on Pakistan soil.

While the initial criticism for the slow pace of work—Pakistan has reportedly spent upwards of Rs 372 crore on renovation at the three centres—should be directed at their cricket board, the International Cricket Council (ICC) will also have to shoulder a lot of the responsibility. Which is why when news of Geoff Allardice stepping down as the ICC CEO was revealed barely three weeks before the start of the tournament, it wasn’t a huge surprise. This is being seen as the first big head to roll because of the laggard work at the venues in Pakistan—work that Allardice was in charge of overseeing. The fact that no thought was given to keeping a hybrid model ready, with India playing their matches at a neutral venue, was also a big failure. The decision to award the tournament to Pakistan was taken in November 2021 by an ICC Board chaired by former ICC Chairman Greg Barclay, the gentleman Jay Shah took the reins from. As many as three other officials, including the head of events, the head of marketing and communications and the head of the anti-corruption unit had stepped down citing personal reasons after the much-criticised T20 World Cup last year. They were all part of Barclay’s team.

Good Old Days

Regardless of the ultimate fate of the Champions Trophy this time, there is no doubt that the current ICC leadership group will be taking a close, hard look at the whole fiasco. Two things that they need to keep in mind in the future, while considering awarding Pakistan hosting rights of global events are a hybrid model—so that India’s games can be played at a neutral venue—and the overall state of sports governance and policy strength in the country.

Perhaps the biggest indicator of how much both governance and policies in Pakistan have crumbled over the decades is the country’s overall decline in global sports performances. There was a time when Pakistan was synonymous with excellence in sports like field hockey, cricket, squash and boxing. Three Olympic gold medals in men’s hockey, three ICC titles, six World Squash Team Championship titles and an Olympic bronze in boxing came from those glory days. Athletes like Sohail Abbas, Waseem Ahmed, Asif Iqbal, Zaheer Abbas, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Javed Miandad, Hashim Khan, Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan and Syed Hussain Shah, among many others, were global superstars, across decades.

But that was a long time ago. The decline has been slow, but very steady. Administrations failed to put in place forward-looking systems and that really hurt Pakistani sports. There’s a reason why Arshad Nadeem’s Paris Olympic gold in men’s javelin throw was celebrated with so much gusto—not just because it was the country’s first Olympic medal in 22 years, but because it somewhat quenched the thirst for global sporting success, something the country hadn’t experienced consistently in a very long time.

What Ruined Pakistan’s Sports Ecosystem

Pakistan just couldn’t keep pace with the changing face and pace of global sports. Sports like hockey, cricket and squash have all evolved into almost completely different games from the time Pakistan dominated them. That, coupled with charges of corruption, mismanagement, extremely irregular government support and policies that ignored most sports apart from cricket, saw Pakistan fall behind in the race to be a global sporting powerhouse. Many a sports journalist in Pakistan have written articles over the years about the steady decline they have witnessed.

Ironically, Pakistan is still a hub for manufacturing high-quality sports equipment. However, that is not a parameter to gauge if a country’s sports ecosystem is robust. And though cricket has been the biggest and most popular sport in the country for a while, the sport’s administration hasn’t really been spared some of the scourges that plague other games and the country’s overall sports health. The PCB has seen as many as three different chairmen since 2022; allegations of vested interests and political interference have hastened the decline of Pakistan cricket. Just December last year, former Australian cricketer Jason Gilespie stepped down as Pakistan’s Test coach. He told ABC Sport that he was kept in the dark and “blindsided” by the PCB over key decisions. Former bowling great Waqar Younis was brought on board as an advisor to the PCB Chairman, but then, he was suddenly made the mentor of a domestic team in the Champions T20 Cup. In August last year, after Pakistan lost to Bangladesh by 10 wickets in a Test match at home in Rawalpindi, former Pakistan head coach Mudassar Nazar, who had played almost 200 international matches for Pakistan, said the PCB was “full of confused people” making “mistake after mistake”. Former Pakistan Test opener Ahmed Shehzad said he has “never seen Pakistan cricket sink so low”.

Going by reports, for the Champions Trophy this time, the PCB has undertaken the largest venue renovation exercise since 1996—the last time the country hosted an ICC event. Many in the PCB will be having sleepless nights right now. The question is, what kind of notes is the new ICC regime taking?

(The author is a former sports editor and primetime sports news anchor. He is currently a columnist, features writer and stage actor)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Betting on cricket in India is not legal. But if it was, one bet the betting houses would never float these days would be, ‘Will India travel to Pakistan to play a tournament?’. Can you realistically think of anyone who would be willing to bet on a ‘yes’ for that one, anytime soon? Only some very optimistic people in Pakistan and the ICC, perhaps.

Before we venture further into the geo-political quagmire that the governing body of world cricket finds itself in currently, thanks to India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan to play the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy and Pakistan’s belligerent refusal to accept a hybrid model this time, let’s get a few things straight and, therefore, out of the way:

• Despite Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s recent visit to Pakistan to attend a conclave, there hasn’t been a thaw in the relations between the two countries
• India haven’t travelled to Pakistan to play cricket since the 2008 Asia Cup
• The reason India stopped playing cricket in Pakistan and cut off many more ties was the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008
• If the Pakistan camp thought that their travelling to India to play the ODI World Cup last year was a gesture that would be reciprocated by India for next year’s Champions Trophy, they were mistaken
• And finally, if India are to participate in an ICC tournament where Pakistan are hosts, their matches will have to be played at a neutral venue. And that will mostly be up to the ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board to work out in order to avoid any potential heartburn.

If you read the above and nodded your head in agreement, then you clearly think differently than people who govern world cricket but who seem to have forgotten the basics of current Indo-Pak cricketing relations. Strange, isn’t it? After all, it was just last year when Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup. Back then, all of India’s matches, including the final, were played in Sri Lanka, as part of a hybrid model. It was a model that was proposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) itself (after an impasse, of course) so that they could retain hosting rights. It was the right decision for everyone involved. 

India Can’t Be Ignored

There’s no crystal ball that can show us what lies ahead, but eventually, this is most likely going to be the solution for the Champions Trophy next year as well. There are enough media reports indicating that back-channel talks are on between the ICC and the PCB to convince the Pakistan camp to agree to organise India’s matches in the UAE. The other alternative is playing the tournament without India. But let’s face it, that is just not viable, financially or otherwise. 

However, why wasn’t the ICC more proactive in ensuring that the PCB are fine with a hybrid model, right from the very beginning? Surely, they couldn’t have believed that the Indian team would be given a prompt green signal to travel to Pakistan?

The fact is, a global cricket tournament without India is unfathomable. Indian cricket brings in the maximum amount of money in commercial revenue for the ICC. The new ICC revenue distribution model that was cleared by the ICC board in July last year approved the formula that sees the BCCI take almost 39% of the ICC’s net surplus annual earnings of around $600 million. No other full-member board has even a double-digit percentage share. In the 2024-2027 commercial cycle, the BCCI is earning about $230 million annually from the ICC’s global earnings.

A Mammoth Industry

Media rights sales and viewership are two big parameters that were integral in this formula. It’s no secret that Indian cricket, and also cricket in India, contributes the most to the global cricket economy. Though the exact details were not disclosed, reports claimed that Star India acquired ICC’s India media rights for the 2015-2023 cycle for about $1.8-2 billion. According to the ICC, the deal was “significantly in excess of the ICC’s previous commercial deals.” As per their financial statement and media reports, the ICC earned a record $719 million from the 2023 ODI World Cup held in India. That’s about $162 million more than what they earned from the 2019 ODI World Cup in England. The 2023 edition was also the largest, in terms of overall viewership and spectator turnout. According to an ICC release, it recorded over a trillion viewing minutes—a 38% jump from the last edition in India in 2011.

According to the same release, the final between India and Australia was the most watched ICC match ever, with 87.6 billion live viewing minutes recorded globally. As many as 20 broadcast partners across 209 territories beamed the games worldwide. Even when a tournament is not being played in India, the country matches attract the maximum eyeballs. According to media reports, the India vs South Africa 2024 men’s T20 World Cup final match recorded a peak concurrent viewership of almost 5.3 crore on the Indian host broadcaster’s OTT platform. There’s a reason why India’s matches at global tournaments are almost always scheduled for Sundays or holidays.

In other words, India can afford not to play in Pakistan. It would just be prudent for the ICC and the PCB to discuss a hybrid model for the India matches, just like it was organised for the Asia Cup last year.

Safety Is Foremost

Even so, there’s no doubt that it’s not easy being a part of the Pakistan cricket administration, or even a Pakistan fan who wants to see an India vs Pakistan clash in her or his country. The PCB desperately wants Indian cricketers to play on their soil. Fans in Pakistan are desperate to see and even cheer the likes of Virat, Rohit, Bumrah, Pant and others from stands in Pakistani stadiums. Despite their rather lop-sided rivalry in recent times, India vs Pakistan is still very much an emotional clash, for fans on both sides of the border. But the safety and security of its citizens is the highest priority for any government, despite whatever ‘security and safety experts’ might conclude after visiting empty stadiums and travelling on roads leading up to the venue on non-match days. Neither the PCB nor the ICC can realistically convince the Indian government to allow the cricket team to travel to Pakistan. The writing has been firmly on the wall for a long time now. A plan to work on a hybrid model should have been drawn up a long time ago.

The BCCI is not arbitrarily taking the decision not to play in Pakistan. It’s the Indian government that has the final say. The Indian men’s blind cricket team obtained a no-objection certificate from the sports ministry to participate in the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup in Pakistan, scheduled to be held from November 22 to December 3. But they were not given MEA clearance and have subsequently withdrawn from the tournament. The same decision was taken for the Indian kabaddi team, which was scheduled to play three friendly games in Pakistan, this month. Pakistan is where the Sri Lankan men’s cricket team bus was shot at by 12 gunmen near the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore in 2009. Sure, other countries are touring Pakistan again to play cricket, but India’s equation is different. 

The Standoff Continues

Around the ninth of this month, the BCCI informed the ICC that the Indian team will not get government clearance to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. The final schedule for the tournament was supposed to be announced by November 20, but it wasn’t, and reports from Pakistan indicate that the delay is due to the ICC’s inability to convince the PCB to adopt a hybrid model. Some reports claim that the broadcasters and advertisers in Pakistan are putting pressure on their board, demanding that India play their matches only on Pakistan soil. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has confirmed that they are ‘just talking to the ICC’. None of this is surprising. And with just around three months to go now for the tournament, it won’t be surprising if and when the PCB agrees to a hybrid model.

Pakistan were awarded the hosting rights for next year’s Champions Trophy exactly three years ago. That’s how much time the ICC has had to ensure two very important things—Pakistan retaining hosting rights and India’s participation in the tournament. Now, with the clock ticking, and the PCB digging in its heels, they find themselves in an almost impossible situation of their own making.

(The author is a former sports editor and primetime sports news anchor. He is currently a columnist, features writer and stage actor)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Citing concerns over “territorial integrity and political interference in sports”, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah on Friday launched a sharp attack on Pakistan Cricket Board’s announcement to conduct the Champions Trophy tour in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) areas, say reports.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s governing body, has decided to cancel the planned trophy tour of the Champions Trophy 2025 in Skardu, Murree, and Muzaffarabad – areas that fall within PoK.

“BCCI secretary Jay Shah strongly condemns the Pakistan Cricket Board’s announcement to conduct the Champions Trophy tour in PoK, reiterating India’s objection to the move,” news agency ANI reported citing unnamed sources.

“Jay Shah has raised the matter with the International Cricket Council (ICC), urging the body to take appropriate action in light of the BCCI’s concerns over territorial integrity and political interference in sports,” the news agency added.

The ICC informed the PCB last week that India would not tour Pakistan for the eight-team tournament, leaving the fate of the event hanging in the balance. 

Pakistan had previously rejected the option of a hybrid arrangement that would allow India to play their matches at neutral venues, for example in the United Arab Emirates. 

Deteriorating political ties have meant the arch rivals have not played a bilateral cricket series for over a decade — squaring off only in ICC multi-nation events.  India last toured Pakistan for the Asia Cup in 2008.

Pakistan visited India for last year’s ODI World Cup and the PCB had expected the gesture to be reciprocated for the Champions Trophy.

Any cricket match between the two Asian cricketing giants is among the most watched events on the global sporting calendar.

The Champions Trophy is slated to be played across three venues — Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi — from February 19 to March 9 next year.

The previous edition was held in England and Wales in 2017, with Pakistan defeating arch-rivals India in the final at the Oval.
 

The last tournament that Pakistan hosted was the Asia Cup in 2023, conducted in a ‘Hybrid Model’ with India playing their matches in Sri Lanka. File
| Photo Credit: AFP

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has slotted its team’s marquee Champions Trophy match against arch-foes India in Lahore on March 1 next year but the BCCI is yet to give its consent to the tentative schedule, a senior ICC Board member told PTI on July 3.

The tournament is slated from February 19 to March 9 with March 10 as Reserve Day.

It is understood PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who was invited to watch the T20 World Cup final in Barbados, submitted a 15-match schedule with all of India’s games kept in Lahore for security and logistical reasons.

“The PCB has submitted the draft of the 15-match ICC Champions Trophy. Seven games in Lahore, three in Karachi and five in Rawalpindi,” an ICC Board member said.

“The opening match will be held in Karachi with two semifinals in Karachi and Rawalpindi, final in Lahore. All India matches (including semifinal, if the team qualifies) in Lahore,” the source added.

India have been clubbed with Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand in Group A. Group B comprises Australia, South Africa, England and Afghanistan.

Recently, ICC head of events Chris Tetley met PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi in Islamabad after the world body’s security team inspected the venues and other arrangements.

The last tournament that Pakistan hosted was the Asia Cup in 2023, conducted in a ‘Hybrid Model’ with India playing their matches in Sri Lanka as the government refused to permit the players’ travel across the border.

“All board chiefs of the ICC Champions Trophy participating countries (minus BCCI) have assured him of their complete support but BCCI will consult its government and update the ICC,” the source added.

The ICC, on its part, can’t force any Board to go against its government policy and it will be interesting to see when BCCI takes a final call on the matter.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has said that the PCB would be open to the idea of playing with India in bilateral series if they send their team to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy next year. Photo: X/@TheRealPCB 

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has said that the PCB would be open to the idea of playing with India in bilateral series if they send their team to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy next year.

Talking to reporters in Lahore during a function, Naqvi was asked about the recent interview of Indian captain Rohit Sharma, in which he praised the Pakistan cricket team and said it would be “awesome” to play the neighbours from across the border in a Test series overseas.

“Look, if any options in this regard come we will consider it, but our target right now is to host the Champions Trophy and first let India come for the tournament,” he said.

“Right now till the CT there is no slot available as our team has a packed itinerary.” “Once they come here first then we can look at any proposal whenever it comes before us,” he added.

The two teams last played a bilateral limited overs series in 2012-13, when Pakistan visited India. But India has refused to play any Tests against Pakistan since 2007, when the two countries engaged in a rubber on Indian soil.

Last year India refused to send its team for the Asia Cup matches in Pakistan and eventually the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) had to adopt a hybrid model for the event which was split with a vast majority of the matches being organised in Sri Lanka.

Naqvi met with BCCI secretary Jay Shah during an ICC meeting in Dubai in February.