Pakistan in race against time to upgrade facilities for Champions Trophy 2025

Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan are hoping to complete the renovations of the three host venues by January 31. An ICC delegation recently visited the venues to take stock of the upgrades.

In Short

• An ICC delegation visited Pakistan to take stock of the upgrade of venues
• Pakistan informed the ICC that it would ready the stadiums by January 31
• Pakistan set aside PKR 12.5 billion for the renovation of three host venues

Pakistan are in a race against time to complete the enhancement of facilities, including stadiums, for the Champions Trophy 2025. An International Cricket Council (ICC) delegation recently visited Pakistan to take stock of the progress and is expected to give feedback to the host board. Sources have told India Today's sister channel, SportsTak, that there might be concerns regarding venue upgrades, but no other major issues are anticipated.

When enquired about the status of the venues, a source mentioned that all scheduled venues are currently undergoing upgrades. The PCB has set a deadline of January 31 for completing these upgrades. The January 31 deadline might be a concern for the ICC, considering that the Champions Trophy is scheduled to start on February 19.

This means the PCB will need to accelerate the upgrade process to meet the deadline, as only four months are remaining to finalise everything, which could prove to be a challenging task for Pakistan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has set aside PKR 12.5 billion for the renovation of three host venues -- the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the National Stadium in Karachi and the Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi.

Notably, Pakistan had to move the second of an upcoming three-match Test series against England from Karachi to Multan due to the renovation work at the National Stadium.

In a briefing given at the Board of Governors meeting in Faisalabad in September, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi assured that the three venues would be ready in time to host the marquee event. Giving details of the fund distribution, Naqvi said PKR 7.7 billion out of PKR 12.8 billion is being spent on the upgrade of the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The PCB has earmarked PKR 3.5 billion for renovating the National Stadium and PKR 1.5 billion for the renovation of the Pindi Stadium.

The renovation plan includes building a steel-structured pavilion in Lahore and Karachi apart from other purchases, including LED lights for floodlights, new seating arrangements, and renovating hospitality boxes and restrooms.

In August, PCB chairman Naqvi conceded that the infrastructure at the international cricket stadiums in Pakistan is below par and that his regime would ensure the enhancement and deliver a world-class Champions Trophy next year.