Aamna Aamna 
In a meeting between the Emirates Cricket Board Chairman Sheikh Mubarak Al Nahyan and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi in Sanghar, Sindh, PCB has formally declared the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as neutral venue for India’s matches in the coming Champions Trophy.
The same decision holds Dubai as the primary venue for the much-anticipated India-Pakistan match to be played on 23 February. Although there are several international sites that are available for the UAE such as Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, the capacity of Dubai makes it the most suitable venue. This format has been reached following BCCI’s announcement that India will not be attending the Pakistan tournament.
The decision comes in the backdrop of the ICC approving the India-Pakistan bilateral series to be held on neutral venues in global tournaments from 2024 to 2027. Such an arrangement will hold for several future tournaments, such as the 2025 Champions Trophy, which the Pakistan team will host and the 2026 T20 WC in India and Sri Lanka. With the venue confirmation in place, ICC is likely to announce the full fixture of the eight-nation tournament, which will be held from February 19 to March 9, on Monday.
