ICC Champions Trophy 2025 LIVE: Police officers stand guard outside the National Bank Stadium, where final preparations are going on for upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, in Karachi. (AP Photo)
ICC Champions Trophy 2025 LIVE Updates: Pakistan will host its first major ICC tournament since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with Sri Lanka and India. The ICC Champions Trophy will mean that a big-ticket event will be hosted by Pakistan after three decades.
The 2025 Champions Trophy will see almost all big teams from the world travel to Pakistan. Only India will be playing their home matches in UAE in the hybrid format. The two teams will face off in UAE. Despite the match being played ion neutral venue, there will be fever pitch excitement for the game.
Cricket fans in Pakistan have largely been deprived of live action in their country after the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lanka team at Lahore. The attack led to international teams avoiding tours to Pakistan for almost a decade because of security concerns. The Sri Lankan test team returned in 2019 as international cricket made slow inroads back.
What is the Champions Trophy?
The eight-nation, limited-overs tournament hasn’t been contested since 2017, when Pakistan beat India in the final in England. The Champions Trophy was launched in 1998 and initially held every two years but later moved to a four-year cycle in between World Cups — the pinnacle in cricket’s one-day format. The eight participating teams this time were based on rankings after the 2023 World Cup in India, with Pakistan qualifying automatically as host. India, New Zealand and Bangladesh are in Group A with host Pakistan. England, South Africa, Australia and Afghanistan are in Group B.
Pakistan was awarded the 2008 Champions Trophy, but due to security concerns the tournament was shifted to South Africa in 2009. India was due to host the Champions Trophy in 2021, but it was replaced with the T20 World Cup and was played in the UAE.
(With inputs from AP)
Live Blog
Our liveblog of the ICC Champions Trophy will keep you updated about all the news as we count down the hours for the start of the mega event
Champions Trophy: Controversy erupts after India flag is missing on roof of National Stadium in Karachi
A view of newly renovated National Bank Stadium, where fans watch the tri-series ODI cricket final match between Pakistan and New Zealand, in Karachi, Pakistan, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo)
A video has surfaced on social media that allegedly shows the Indian Tricolour missing from the roof of the National Stadium in Karachi while flags of all other nations that will participate in the ICC Champions Trophy are present.
The clip caused some anger on social media. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly explained why the Indian flag was not seen at the National Stadium in Karachi ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. “The ICC has advised that only four flags will be hoisted on Champions Trophy 2025 match days – ICC (Event Authority), PCB (Event Host) and the two sides competing on that day. Simple,” an unnamed PCB spokesperson told multiple Indian media organisations which did not name the person.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
