ICC awaits PCB’s decision on Hybrid Model for Champions Trophy after India decline to travel
Karachi, Nov 11: The International Cricket Council has sought a response from the Pakistan Cricket Board on hosting the Champions Trophy in a hybrid model following India's refusal to travel to the country for the tournament.
The PCB on Sunday had confirmed that it received an email from the ICC that India declined to travel to the neighbouring country.
“Unless the PCB decides to pull out of hosting the Champions Trophy the current plan is to hold India’s matches in UAE and the final in Dubai,” a source told PTI on Monday.
“The Indian Cricket Board has told the ICC that a Hybrid Model is acceptable to them only if the final is held in Dubai and not in Pakistan,” the source added.
The PCB on Monday remained silent without giving any reaction to the BCCI informing the ICC it will not send its team to play in Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.
But according to sources, the ICC has asked the PCB to confirm if a Hybrid Model -- where India’s matches and the final would be held in Dubai -- is acceptable to them.
The ICC has assured the PCB that, under this arrangement, they would receive full hosting fees and a majority of the matches.
“The ICC has told the PCB that if it decides to go ahead with the hosting of the mega event on a Hybrid Model it would get its full hosting fees and majority of the matches,” the source said.
However, if the PCB decides to pull out of hosting the tournament due to India's refusal, the ICC could consider moving the entire event to South Africa, the source added.
Earlier, a PCB source had said there was "no talk" of a Hybrid Model as of now and they would seek further clarity from the ICC.
"There is no talk about having the Champions Trophy on a Hybrid Model system as of now," a reliable PCB source told PTI.
"An email is to be sent to the ICC with the advice of its legal department in which the Board wanted clarifications from the ICC on the Indian decision," the source said.
"As of now the entire situation is being gauged by the PCB. No decision has been taken on the next step. Yes the PCB is in touch with the government for consultation and directives if required," the source added.
Meanwhile, Pakistani media speculated on potential responses, including the Pakistan government advising the PCB to avoid playing India altogether or the PCB pursuing legal action against the ICC and BCCI at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Geneva.
India have not travelled to Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes. The two teams compete against each other only in ICC tournaments.
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Andhra to be developed as knowledge, creator economy hub: CM Naidu
New Delhi/Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the state is taking steps to transform itself into a knowledge and creator economy hub with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
He noted that Andhra Pradesh has abundant tech-driven youth and the government is formulating plans to train them in futuristic technologies with support from global technology firms.
"Our goal is to transform Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge hub by focusing on AI, quantum computing, data centres, drone cities and space cities. The youth will remain our biggest asset over the next 25 years, and we seek global partnerships to scale up the creator economy," said Naidu during his interactions at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi.
Naidu, who participated in the summit in the national capital, also held meetings with several global technology leaders and industrialists to explore collaborations in artificial intelligence, clean energy and innovation ecosystems.
He met Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Autodesk AI Head Mike Haley, Aramco India Director Abdul Rehman AiThukair, LEGO Education Vice President Tom Hall, Aadhaar Founder and CTO Srikanth Nadhamuni, Khosla Ventures Managing Partner Vinod Khosla and others at the AP Pavilion.
The chief minister also held discussions with Saudi Aramco representatives on clean energy projects, including solar initiatives, and invited the company to expand operations in Andhra Pradesh, stating that the state is highly suitable for green energy production.
He sought support from NVIDIA Vice President Callista Redmond for establishing AI Living Labs and proposed partnerships through the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub to promote youth innovation, including collaborations with IIT Tirupati and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati under the Andhra Pradesh Future Innovation and Research for Science and Technology (AP FIRST) initiative.
Naidu urged Autodesk leadership to support the development of Global Capability Centres in design engineering and requested the establishment of an Innovation Academy in Amaravati aligned with quantum technology, besides proposing AI and robotics learning labs in partnership with LEGO Education.
He also discussed AI-driven smart governance solutions with Quantela Inc Chairman Sridhar Gadhi, while World Bank Group Digital AI Regional Director Mahesh Uttamchandani met Naidu on the sidelines of the summit.
Following the meetings, Naidu visited various exhibition stalls at the summit, including those of NVIDIA, Tata, Intel and Microsoft, and reviewed AI applications across agriculture, healthcare and industry.
