Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh said Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should keep their ego aside and accept the hybrid model for the Champions Trophy 2025, slated to be held in February-March.
Speaking at an inauguration of the World Tennis League on Monday, the 44-year-old stated that Pakistan should keep their “ego” aside.
“Ask all players, they would say they are ready to play in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. In any case, we don’t see too many Indo-Pak games as such, and Pakistan should keep their ego aside and agree to the ‘Hybrid Model’. There is a security concern (for India) and I have been saying this since 2022,” he said.
The PCB, however, has firmly refuted the allegations of them ‘surrendering’ amid the ambiguity surrounding the hosting of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy.
According to the sources, PCB officials and chairman Mohsin Naqvi returned from Dubai, where he held several crucial meetings regarding the issue.
Sources close to the PCB also shared that the board remained firm on its stance and is awaiting the response from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the newly-proposed ‘partnership model’.
The PCB sources further reiterated its opposition of the ‘surrender’ claims by highlighting that if Pakistan had surrendered, the BCCI and ICC would not have requested for more time.
It is pertinent to mention here that a new model, dubbed as ‘partnership formula’, is under consideration to end the deadlock between PCB and BCCI.
As per the new formula, Pakistan will also not play their matches in India during ICC events for next three years. Dubai is most likely to be the neutral venue for both the teams as per the expected new agreement.
If the proposed formula gets mutually agreed upon then there may not be a need for the board meeting and the apex cricketing body will communicate the development with the board members.
In a broader discussion, the right-arm off-break bowler also commented on the form and placement of the Indian regular skipper Rohit Sharma in the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia.
- Harbhajan Singh
