KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi visited the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday to assess final stages of renovation work ahead of the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy 2025, set to be held in the country from Feb. 19.
Stadiums in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi are being upgraded for the tournament whose success could invite more global series to a country, which was deemed unsafe to tour after a 2009 attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricketers. The eight-team 50-overs tournament will be the first global competition to be held in Pakistan in 28 years.
India, however, will play all their matches in Dubai due to political tensions with their Northern neighbors.
In May last year, Naqvi, who is also the country’s interior minister, directed officials to hire an international consultant to upgrade the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the National Bank Stadium in Karachi and the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
“The upgradation work of the main pavilion and media boxes of Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium has been completed while installation of chairs in enclosures is in the final stage,” the PCB said in a statement after Naqvi visited the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Naqvi inspected the pavilion, media box, and VIP boxes, expressing satisfaction with the progress of the renovation work. He also reviewed security arrangements for the visiting international teams.
Three matches, including Bangladesh vs New Zealand on Feb. 24, Australia vs South Africa on Feb. 25, and Pakistan vs Bangladesh on Feb. 27, will be held at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will take place from Feb. 19 to Mar. 9, with matches hosted across Pakistan and Dubai in a hybrid model.
In Pakistan, Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi will host three group-stage games each. Lahore is also set to host the second semifinal. Dubai will host all three of India’s group matches and the first semifinal, should India qualify.
The tournament opener on Feb. 19 will feature Pakistan taking on New Zealand in Karachi, while India will face Bangladesh in Dubai on Feb. 20.
This will be the ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy after an eight-year hiatus. The last tournament took place in England in 2017.
