LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will organise a tri-nation One-day International series featuring South Africa and New Zealand in February next year before hosting the high-profile ICC Champions Trophy.

The decision of organising the tri-nation series was taken during the sideline meetings of PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi with the heads of South African and New Zealand cricket boards in Dubai, where he attended his first ICC Board meeting on Friday.

“PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met the chairman of Cricket South Africa (CSA) Mr Lawson Naidoo and the chairman of New Zealand Cricket (NZC), Mr Roger Twose. The agenda of the meeting included the ODI tri-series involving Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa, to be held in February 2025 in Pakistan, just before the ICC Champions Trophy. The tri-series was finalised and welcomed by the host as well as both the member boards [New Zealand and South Africa],” the PCB said in a media statement issued on Friday.

“PCB chairman also extended an invitation to Roger Twose and Lawson Naidoo to visit Pakistan,” the statement added.

Pakistan, which last organised a tri-series way back in 2004 involving Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, will host the eight-nation Champions Trophy in February-March next year.

The country was scheduled to host the sixth edition of the Champions Trophy in 2008 but the event could not be held over security concerns expressed at that time by some participating countries. As a result, the ICC after postponing the tournament shifted it to South Africa which hosted the event in September-October 2009.

Mohsin expressed his delight at Pakistan hosting the tri-series and next year’s Champions Trophy.

“The tri-series involving Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand will be an exciting event and it is after a long time that Pakistan will host such a tournament,” Mohsin said.

“I would like to thank the heads of NZC and CSA for agreeing to participate in the tri-series. The PCB is also looking forward to hosting the ICC Champions Trophy which will be a great pleasure for Pakistan to host the top eight ODI teams on its soil,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dawn learnt that though both the PCB and the ICC remain committed towards staging the ICC Champions Trophy according to the original plan, doubts remain after Friday’s ICC meeting over whether both the bodies have received confirmation from India on its participation in the said event.

Moreover, the PCB in order to host the tri-nation series and the Champions Trophy in February-March next year will have to find a suitable window as both the events which may clash with the HBL Pakistan Super League which is held during the same months every year.

Dawn also learnt that Mohsin taking the initiative wanted to meet BCCI secretary Jay Shah in Dubai in getting assurance about India’s participation in the Champions Trophy but the latter did not come to Emirate for the said meeting.

India’s participation in the Champions Trophy is subject to permission from its government, which has over the years avoided facing arch-rivals Pakistan in bilateral cricket series — both home and away — due to political strains but played the arch-rivals in multi-nation ICC competitions including the World Cups and the Champions Trophy events.

Last year, the PCB hosted the 50-over Asia Cup, but India did not send its team to Pakistan and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) used its sway to get most of the matches of the continental event, including the final, shifted to Sri Lanka.

Considering the tense political environment which has prevailed between the nuclear-armed neighbours in South Asia, it seems an uphill task, at least for now, for both the ICC and the PCB to stage the Champions Trophy with full participation.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2024