ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi this week reiterated that the country was “fully prepared” to host the Champions Trophy cricket tournament next year, despite India’s refusal to send its cricket team to the neighboring country.
Pakistan is scheduled to host the Feb. 19-Mar. 9 Champions Trophy 2025 tournament. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) last week informed Pakistan that India had declined to play any games in Pakistan. The PCB has sought clarification from the ICC on the refusal.
India has not sent its cricket team to Pakistan since 2008 due to political tensions between the two countries. Pakistan was forced to agree to a “hybrid” model for the 2023 Asia Cup through which all of India’s matches were shifted to Sri Lanka. Pakistan has said it will not agree to a similar model for the Champions Trophy.
“Mohsin Naqvi said Pakistan is fully prepared for the ICC Champions Trophy tournament,” state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Friday.
Naqvi said this in London after meeting England and Wales Cricket Board Chairman Richard Thompson on Saturday.
Thompson expressed his best wishes to the PCB chairman for the upcoming tournament, the state broadcaster said.
“He said England’s recent visit to Pakistan was a wonderful experience,” Radio Pakistan reported.
Speaking about Pakistan renovating its stadiums ahead of the multi-nation tournament next year, Naqvi said the venues are being upgraded with modern facilities.
While India’s presence is crucial to the commercial success of the ICC event, Pakistan might pull out of the tournament should it be shifted out of the country, the Dawn newspaper reported on Tuesday citing sources.
The ICC is in talks with the PCB and the participating boards before finalizing the schedule of the eight-team tournament.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tour kicked off on Saturday after the trophy was displayed at Islamabad’s Pakistan Monument and Faisal Mosque landmarks.
Pakistan says ‘fully prepared’ to host Champions Trophy tournament amid India row
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Pakistan says ‘fully prepared’ to host Champions Trophy tournament amid India row
- PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi meets English counterpart in London to discuss Champions Trophy tournament
- India has refused to travel to Pakistan for Feb. 9-Mar. 19 tournament next year due to political tensions
Pakistan weekly inflation rises 5.19% year on year as Ramadan begins
- Out of 51 items, prices of 17 items increased, 12 items decreased and 22 remained stable
- The Sensitive Price Index for the week ending on Feb. 19 increased by 1.16 percent, data shows
KARACHI: Short-term inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), rose 5.19 percent year-on-year in the week ending Feb 19, the statistics bureau said on Friday, reflecting higher prices of perishable food items at the start of Ramadan.
The SPI, which comprises 51 essential items collected from 50 markets in 17 cities, is computed on a weekly basis to assess the price movement of essential commodities at a shorter interval of time to review the price situation in the country.
The SPI for the week ending on Feb. 19 increased by 1.16 percent, the year-on-year trend depicted an increase of 5.19 percent, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) data.
The development came as the holy fasting month of Ramadan began in the South Asian country on Feb. 19, which often sees an increase of prices of fruit, vegetables and other necessary items.
“During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 17 (33.33%) items increased, 12 (23.53%) items decreased and 22 (43.14%) items remained stable,” the PBS said.
Major increase was observed in the prices of Bananas (16.05%), Electricity Charges for Q1 (15.41%), Garlic (5.86%), Chicken (5.49%), Onions (3.83%), Tomatoes (3.82%), Diesel (2.69%), Petrol (1.93%), Beef (1.03%), LPG (0.75%), Mutton (0.69%) and Long Cloth (0.28%), according to the PBS.
The items whose prices decreased included Eggs (11.78%), Potatoes (2.24%), Wheat Flour (2.02%), Pulse Masoor (1.47%), Sugar (0.96%), Vegetable Ghee 2.5Kg (0.72%), Pulse Gram (0.58%), Cooking Oil 5 Litre (0.19%), Gur (0.16%), Vegetable Ghee 1Kg (0.11%), Rice (0.08%) and Mustard Oil (0.07%).
