Champions Trophy Venue Mess: Both Australia And South Africa To Travel To Dubai, With One Returning A Day After

Champions Trophy 2025: The scheduling is such that India are assured of playing its semi-final in Dubai. Group A's other semi-finalists New Zealand will play its last four match in Lahore.

The Champions Trophy 2025's scheduling has come under a lot of criticism. India are the only team that is playing in one venue (Dubai). All other teams are playing in different venues, sometimes different countries. So much so, that several players have been quite vocal about the 'venue advantage' of India. Now, according to a report, Group B potential semi-finalists Australia and South Africa will travel to the UAE on Saturday. But strangely one of them will return to India as one of the semi-finals will in Pakistan, while the other will be in Dubai. 

The scheduling is such that India are assured of playing its semi-final in Dubai. Group A's other semi-finalists New Zealand will play its last four match in Lahore. The match-ups and venues of the Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals will be confirmed after India vs New Zealand final Group A game on Sunday.

"An ICC official said the decision had been taken to allow the side that plays the semi-final in Dubai on March 4 the maximum time to prepare for that contest. However, it does guarantee one side will find themselves in the suboptimal position of leaving Pakistan for Dubai, only to have to return to Pakistan the following day," a report in Cricinfo said. 

"While the Lahore semi-final is one day later on March 5, the way in which this tournament has been scheduled means that one team will travel and train at a venue they do not need to be at for a day."

Another report in BBC confirmed the development.