Pakistan’s Usman Khan and Shadab Khan pictured throughout T20 World Cup 2026 match in opposition to India at R Premadasa Worldwide Cricket Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka on February 15, 2026. — ReutersPak-India tensions immediate cricket bosses to debate contingencies.Australia could also be thought of to host Champions Trophy 2029.World Cup 2031 can also be shifted to Australia from India.
Within the wake of the spillover of geopolitical tensions between Pakistan and India into cricket, the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) could take into account shifting the internet hosting of main future occasions from India to Australia, reported The Sydney Morning Herald.
As per the publication, Australia could possibly be thought of in its place host for the ICC Champions Trophy 2029 and the ICC Males’s Cricket World Cup 2031 — each of that are presently scheduled to be hosted by India and co-hosted by Bangladesh.
The report comes in opposition to the backdrop of uncertainty that surrounded the continued ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the place Pakistan had initially introduced a boycott of its February 15 group-stage match in opposition to arch-rivals India in solidarity with Bangladesh, who had been faraway from the event after refusing to journey to India, citing safety considerations.
Nevertheless, following requests by pleasant nations and high-level deliberations involving the Pakistan Cricket Board, ICC representatives and the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Islamabad finally accredited the nationwide group’s participation within the India fixture — a choice taken to avert a possible monetary lack of $250 million had Pakistan withdrawn.
Tensions between the 2 neighbours have remained elevated, with the Asia Cup 2024 changing into the primary main event for the reason that two nuclear-armed nations went to conflict in Might 2025, a battle that ultimately ended after mediation by america.
Throughout that event — in addition to in a current T20 World Cup fixture — the Indian gamers and their captain avoided the customary post-match handshake with their Pakistani counterparts.
Nevertheless, friction between the 2 nations on the cricketing entrance predates the Might 2025 battle.
In December 2024, the PCB and the Board of Management for Cricket in India agreed to a so-called “hybrid model” for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which was hosted by Pakistan.
Beneath the association, each groups agreed to not play ICC occasions hosted by the opposite nation and as an alternative contest their matches at impartial venues throughout the 2024–2027 rights cycle.
The arch-rivals now meet solely in ICC multi-nation occasions. The final bilateral collection between the 2 sides was performed in 2012–13, when Pakistan toured India.
For greater than a decade, New Delhi has barred its nationwide group from touring Pakistan for bilateral cricket resulting from political tensions.
Towards this backdrop, The Sydney Morning Herald, citing two sources, reported that persistent points arising from strained relations between the 2 distinguished cricketing nations have prompted international cricket directors to carry broader contingency discussions, together with the identification of backup venues to keep away from disruption to main tournaments.
Australia, on this context, has beforehand hosted high-profile Pakistan–India World Cup matches, together with throughout the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup and the 2022 ICC Males’s T20 World Cup.
A crowd of 41,587 attended the 2015 match on the Adelaide Oval, whereas 90,293 spectators had been current on the fixture held on the Melbourne Cricket Floor in 2022.
