KARACHI: The saga of next year’s cricket Champions Trophy drags on, with sources saying Thursday that no agreement has been reached on a proposed “hybrid” format allowing India to play their matches outside host nation Pakistan.
The nuclear-armed neighbors have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent’s partition in 1947 and that rivalry is often reflected on the cricket field.
The eight-team tournament hit a snag last month when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told the International Cricket Council (ICC) that their side would not compete in Pakistan over security fears and political tensions.
Sources speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP the PCB has agreed to the hybrid model — but only on condition that every ICC tournament taking place in India until 2027 follows the same format, with Pakistan not going to India.
Under the hybrid model, Pakistan will host the group matches but its high-profile clash with India will be played in Dubai.
The final would be held in Dubai or Lahore depending on whether the Indian side make it through.
But the BCCI is objecting to the tit-for-tat condition on its own hosting and to the proposal to play the final in Lahore if India do not qualify, the sources said.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is in Dubai, where the ICC has its headquarters, to finalize the arrangements, sources said.
The stand-off means the ICC is still unable to announce the schedule for the February 19 to March 19 event.
The arch-rivals only meet in ICC multi-national events, with the last bilateral series held when Pakistan toured India in 2012-13.
India last toured Pakistan to feature in the 2008 Asia Cup and have not played a bilateral series across the border for 18 years.
Pakistan were also forced to host last year’s Asia Cup on a hybrid model, with India’s matches and the final hosted in Sri Lanka.
India are set to co-host the next Twenty20 World Cup with Sri Lanka in 2026 in addition to the Champions Trophy in 2029 and co-host the 2031 World Cup with Bangladesh.
In the last few years, Pakistan has hosted the world’s top teams, emerging from cricketing isolation that began after a militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009 in Lahore.
Pakistan has not hosted an ICC event since the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.
No deal yet for Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy cricket format
https://arab.news/n36uj
No deal yet for Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy cricket format
- Tournament hit a snag last month when India refused to allow its team to travel to Pakistan
- Stand-off means ICC is still unable to announce schedule for February 19 to March 19 event
Inaugural Kidzink Pearl Cup wraps up at Dubai Offshore Club
- Sailors aged 8-18 competed in the Optimist Coached, Optimist, ILCA 4, 29er and RS Feva classes
DUBAI: The inaugural Kidzink Pearl Cup wrapped up in Dubai after welcoming more than 100 youth sailors from 17 countries for one of the Middle East’s first international open youth sailing regattas.
Held from Dec. 15-21 at Dubai Offshore Sailing Club with the support of Dubai Sports Council, the Kidzink Pearl Cup brought together sailors aged 8-18 to compete in the Optimist Coached, Optimist, ILCA 4, 29er and RS Feva classes.
Backed by global educational design company Kidzink as title sponsor and strategic partner, the event combined four days of competitive racing with ideal windy conditions, with three days of Olympic-level coaching delivered by an international coaching team, giving young sailors the chance to train and race in competitive and challenging conditions alongside peers from different countries and sailing cultures.
The young sailors also took part in interactive onshore sessions developed with Kidzink’s research team, with the event putting the focus on leadership, inclusivity and clean-water awareness.
Charlotte Borghesi, founder and general manager of Kidzink, said: “The energy throughout the week was incredible. You could see learning happening in real time, friendships forming on the dock and young sailors growing in confidence every day.
The Kidzink Pearl Cup is about more than racing, it’s about creating an environment where young people feel inspired, supported and excited to learn.”
A two-time world champion sailor herself, Borghesi brings first-hand experience to the event, having made history in 2023 as the first female helmswoman to win the SB20 World Championship, followed by her team’s victory at the SB20 Women’s World Sailing Championship in Singapore in 2025.
Alongside the racing program, sailors took part in Kidzink’s interactive learning sessions. The UAE sessions built on work first piloted at the Kidzink-supported 29er Class European and World Championships earlier this year.
Local talent featured strongly throughout the week, with members of the DOSC racing squad lining up alongside international competitors. Among them were 14-year-old Chloe Montanet and 12-year-old Edward West.
In the Optimist Coached fleet, first place was claimed by Lev Ryashin (RUS), followed by Matteo Bertucci (ITA) in second and Gonzalo Montero (ESP) in third.
In the Optimist class Jean-Luc Herve (UAE) topped the podium, followed by Xuan Ya Tong (KSA) in second, and Miquel Rossello-Collinge (ESP) rounding out the podium.
The ILCA 4 title went to Fynley Britton (GBR), with Indraneel Roy (IND), and Katyayani Kaushik (IND) completing the podium.
In the 29er fleet, Dominic West and Fynley Britton took top honours, followed by Lily Britton and Matteo Gardenghi in second place with Noah Fisk and Alex Simmonds third.
The RS Feva Coached podium consisted of Ameya Rahul Nair and Arya Khanna in first, Miles Wilson-Brown and Noah Kahlon second, and Finlay Henderson and Rayan Abdallah third.
“Our work in sailing reflects our broader mission to design and create educational environments and experiences where young people thrive,” Borghesi added. “The Kidzink Pearl Cup is just the beginning of much more to come.”
