ICC Accused Of Favouring India In Ongoing Champions Trophy, Ex-International Stars Call Out CT 2025's Scheduling

The ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 is being played in the 'Hybrid Model'. India are scheduled to play all their CT 2025 matches in Dubai. The first semi-final of the tournament will be played in Dubai, and the summit clash too might be played in the UAE if India qualify for it. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had been firmly against sending the Indian team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. The BCCI had cited security issues as the main reason behind not sending the Indian team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. 

This is the first time that two venues have been decided for the final of an ICC event, and only Pakistan are to be blamed for it. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) never had any concrete answers to the security issues that their country has seen over the years. Pakistan did try their very best to convince the BCCI to send the Indian team to Pakistan, considering the financial gains that the 'men in blue' bring in, but they never bothered to address the grave issues of their country.

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Nasser Hussain And Michael Atherton Accuse ICC Of Favouring India

The Indian cricket team has been dominant in the Champions Trophy so far. India have won both their group stage clashes against Asian counterparts Bangladesh and Pakistan and have qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy. Former English skipper Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain have blamed the ICC for giving India an undeniable advantage. 'What about the advantage India have in playing in Dubai, only in Dubai? Which seems to me to be a hard-to-quantify advantage, but an undeniable advantage. They're playing at just one venue. They don't have to travel either', said Atherton while speaking to Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports.

Nasser Hussain also echoed Michael Atherton's point of view and said that India playing all their Champions Trophy games at one venue gives them an upper hand. Hussain also went on to say that India know the conditions in Dubai extremely well, and this gives them a lot of advantage.

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India Up Against New Zealand In Next CT 2025 Clash

India have already qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy and have played a pivotal role in eliminating Bangladesh and Pakistan. The 'men in blue' will now lock horns against Mitchell Santner's New Zealand in their third and final Champions Trophy group stage game. The match will be played on March 2, 2025, in Dubai.

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