The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed that the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will follow a hybrid format, putting an end to months of speculation about its hosting arrangements. Scheduled from February 19 to March 9, the tournament will be co-hosted by Pakistan and a neutral venue, reflecting India’s reluctance to travel to Pakistan.

Reacting to the announcement, Pakistan batter Ahmed Shehzad expressed disappointment with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for agreeing to the hybrid model. Speaking on a podcast with Nadir Ali, Shehzad called it a missed opportunity to host the Indian cricket team on Pakistani soil, especially as the ICC had already allocated hosting rights to Pakistan in 2021.

"Pakistan had a golden chance to host India. All cricket boards had signed the agreement in 2021 that Pakistan will host the Champions Trophy. ICC cannot back off. PCB has missed the chance, I think. We should forget that the Indian team will ever come to Pakistan now. Just forget it," said Shehzad.

The ICC recently passed a resolution stating that India and Pakistan will not travel to each other’s countries for ICC events from 2024 to 2027. This resolution includes both men’s and women’s ICC tournaments, as well as knockout stages.

He further add suggestions to India Pakistan issue: "I did a podcast where I suggested the idea of building a stadium by the border. One gate would be towards India, the other gate would be towards Pakistan. The players would come from the respective gates and play.But even then, there would be issues for the BCCI and their government. When their players come to the field by our side, they would need visas which they would not get,” he added.