Even with six months to go before the beginning of the Champions Trophy 2025, there are doubts over Pakistan hosting the new tournament edition, having become the champions during the last season in 2017. Due to the poor political relationship between India, the Blue Brigade isn’t ready to make their trip to the neighboring country.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already confirmed that the whole scenario would depend on their government’s decision, after which they would call. Meanwhile, for the preparation of the event, Pakistan has already started its preparations through the renovation of the stadiums.
Recently, the National Stadium in Karachi lost the opportunity to host the second Test match against Bangladesh and is unlikely to be ready for the upcoming red-ball game against England. The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore also finds itself in the same condition.
ICC to begin assessment in Pakistan due to Champions Trophy 2025
A five-member team from the International Cricket Council (ICC) arrived on the night of September 17 to assess Pakistan’s security and grounds for the upcoming competition. The four-day visit will end with their inspection in Lahore, which will be wrapped up on September 21.
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The team will inspect the stadium, the practice facilities, and hotels during their stay in the country, besides consulting the hotel management to ensure the best-expected arrangements for the teams.
The delegation, consisting of a senior event manager, events manager, security manager, general manager of cricket, and production manager, will head to Karachi first. Then, they will move to Islamabad on September 20 before ending their trip to Lahore, as the delegation will depart for Dubai on September 21.
The ICC security manager David Mucker, Head of events Chris Tetley, and the ICC pitch consultant Andy Atkinson had previously visited Pakistan on past occasions. At the same time, the recent party has been changed due to the change of officials in the ICC following the resignations of a few senior functionaries.
The visit of the ICC is scheduled, while the local media has reported that the renovation work at the three specified venues- National Stadium in Karachi, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Islamabad, and the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, has been allocated for a behind-schedule by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), who are confident of the smooth conduction of the assessment.
“The redevelopment of the stadia in Karachi and Lahore is progressing rapidly, and the PCB is confident that the construction companies will meet their targets on time. These upgrades are not just a necessity but a critical step in elevating our venues to meet the expectations of the modern game.” The spokesperson from the Pakistan Cricket Board has expressed in a conversation with Cricbuzz.
The source also remarked that the grounds aim to make their world-class destinations with improved facilities of the highest international standards.
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“The two stadia required significant improvements to provide world-class facilities and enhanced experiences for fans, players, officials, and broadcasters alike. The PCB is resolutely committed to showcasing our venues as world-class destinations, adhering to the highest international standards and reinforcing our position on the global sporting stage.” He narrated.
Pakistan’s board has made a draft schedule for the event, which states that the beginning of the competition would be on February 19, as they have tried to put all the games of the Indian team in Lahore to make sure that the Rohit Sharma-led side won’t need to have much travel in the country.