In three weeks, the ICC Champions Trophy will start. The National Stadium in Karachi will host the opener, Pakistan vs. New Zealand, on February 19. However, there is an issue. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hasn’t been able to complete the renovations at the three stadiums allotted to host the 8-team tournaments.
ICC Champions Trophy renovations yet to be completed
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore are the two venues that the PCB selected. As of now, the upgrading of either of them hasn’t been completed. The deadline for the renovations for the venues was set as January 31. A little over 48 hours (2 days) are left, and from the situation of the stadiums, it’s virtually confirmed that the PCB can’t complete the renovations before the deadline ends.
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PCB says, everything on schedule
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi inspected the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium yesterday (January 28) and was adamant that all three stadiums will be ready for competition by January 31. For the unaware, the PCB had chosen to spend Rs 586 crore on the renovations of the three stadiums. The work has been going on for the last five months, but yet it isn’t complete.
Tri-series before ICC Champions Trophy
Before the ICC Champions Trophy, PCB will host a tri-series involving Pakistan, New Zealand, and South Africa. The four-match tri-series will begin on February 8, and the venues for them will be Lahore and Karachi. This means, by hook or crook, they have to get those two stadiums ready by then.
Pakistan was announced as the host of the event in 2021, and although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) delayed their preparations, the stadiums should have been ready for the ICC Champions Trophy by now. The PCB has egg on its face and will hope that the renovations are complete before the tri-series starts, or they’ll have to change the venues again.
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