The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is gearing up to host the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is scheduled to take place in February/March next year. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed concerns over Pakistan’s readiness for the ICC 50-overs tournament.
The ICC Champions Trophy is set to make a comeback after an eight-year absence. The last time England hosted the ICC Champions Trophy was in 2017, where Pakistan secured the title by beating India in the final. The Pakistan Cricket Board will be hosting an ICC event for the first time since co-hosting the ODI World Cup in 1996.
ICC delegation to give feedback to Pakistan Cricket Board on ICC Champions Trophy 2025
An ICC delegation recently visited Pakistan to assess the venues and security arrangements in preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The group reviewed agreements in key locations including Karachi, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The delegation is expected to provide information to the JCP.
According to a report by Sports Tak, the ICC has expressed concerns over whether the ongoing renovations of facilities in Pakistan will be completed in time for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. The report added that no other major issues are expected apart from the facility upgrades for the eight-team tournament.
“The ICC delegation has visited the venue and met with officials and will now give their feedback to the host board but as far as their satisfaction is concerned, there may be some concerns regarding the improvements to the venue; apart from that, I don’t think there should be any issues,” said a Sports Tak report.
The PCB has a deadline of January 31st
The Sports Tak also reported that the Pakistan Cricket Board must complete renovations of the venue for the ICC Champions Trophy by January 31.
The report said Pakistan has a four-month deadline to complete the upgrades, but is in a race against time to complete the upgrade of the facilities.
“At the moment, all the scheduled venues are under modernisation and the PCB has given a deadline of January 31 to the ICC to complete the upgrades. This could be a problem for the ICC because the Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played on February 19. This means that the PCB will have to step up the modernisation process to meet the deadline. Within four months, everything will be ready, which could be a tough task for Pakistan,” the report added.
PCB allocates Rs 12.5 billion for renovation works
The Pakistan Cricket Board has allocated PKR 12.5 billion for the renovation of three major venues – Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, National Stadium in Karachi and Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi.
These three stadiums have been proposed by the PCB as venues, according to the preliminary schedule.
The final match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be played in Lahore, where India is scheduled to play all its matches. The tournament is tentatively scheduled to begin on February 19.
The PCB has announced a revised schedule for the upcoming three-match Test series against England. The second Test match, originally planned for Karachi, will now be held at the Multan Cricket Stadium due to ongoing renovations. The schedule for the other two Test matches remains unchanged.
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