In a major achievement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Friday signed the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 hosting rights agreement with the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Dubai.

According to a statement issued by the cricket board, PCB Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf was joined by ICC General Counsel Jonathan Hall in the signing of the hosting rights to Pakistan at the ICC headquarters.

The PCB has already informed the government about the need for robust security measures for the visiting international teams during the Champions Trophy.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, in a recent meeting with the Chairman of the PCB Management Committee, assured cooperation from security agencies to ensure the successful hosting of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.

This event marks the return of the ICC Champions Trophy after an eight-year gap since its last occurrence in 2017. Some Test-playing nations such as Sri Lanka and West Indies missed out on this global tournament, with Sri Lanka failing to secure a top-eight position in the ICC World Cup 2023 points table.

For the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, a total of eight teams will participate, following the One Day International (ODI) format. The qualification process involved the top seven teams from the ICC ODI World Cup group stage, along with the host nation, Pakistan, securing their positions for this upcoming tournament.

The teams confirmed for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy are:

Pakistan (hosts), India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Afghanistan, England, Bangladesh