“India mein khelo aur wahi unhe maarke aao…”: Here’s what Shoaib Akhtar said for the Champions Trophy solution

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“India mein khelo aur wahi unhe maarke aao…”: Here’s what Shoaib Akhtar said for the Champions Trophy solution

Former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar recently expressed his disagreement over Pakistan Cricket Board's stance on not traveling to India for future ICC events.

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December 2, 2024 21:13 IST
“India mein khelo aur wahi unhe maarke aao…”: Here’s what Shoaib Akhtar said for the Champions Trophy solution
“India mein khelo aur wahi unhe maarke aao…”: Here’s what Shoaib Akhtar said for the Champions Trophy solution

New Delhi: As the melodrama of the ICC Champions Trophy drags on like a soap opera, former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has shown his displeasure with the way the entire thing has progressed so far.


Earlier, a hybrid model has reportedly been agreed between all parties, though the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made a few demands to give their stamp of approval. PCB, who hold the hosting rights for the tournament, were hell-bent on organising the entire tournament in Pakistan but the recent meeting with ICC has seen them soften their stance.

While speaking at a Pakistani channel, Akhtar agreed with the PCB’s stance on demanding a higher share of revenues since the tournament will now be held in a hybrid model. However, when it came to PCB’s official stance to boycott ICC games in the future which are scheduled in India, the Pakistani pacer had a different opinion and remarked:

You are getting paid for hosting rights and revenue, and that’s fine-we all understand it. Pakistan’s stance is also reasonable. They should have maintained a strong position, why not?…

How much will PCB’s India boycott affect the financial side of the game?

The ICC has made sure to milk the rivalry for the last decade, with the World Test Championship being the only ICC event where the two nations haven’t met. Both countries have been strategically placed in the same group in events following their 2007 ODI World Cup exits. The same happened with the Champions Trophy 2025, where India has drawn New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Pakistan in Group A.

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) plan to boycott India could mean that the rivalry, which garners a mammoth amount of money for the ICC, won’t be a cash generation anymore. For the 2024-27 cycle, the ICC has already struck a broadcast rights deal worth $3.2 billion (Rs 27007 crore) and expects to earn around $ 1 billion (Rs 8439 crore) more in revenue from different sources.

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