Pakistan’s Lahore cricket stadium. (FILE)
Pakistan Cricket Board has approved the upgradation of cricket stadiums in Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, National Stadium in Karachi and Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium which are the three venues selected for hosting the Champions Trophy 2025 from February 19-March 9.
According to the Geo News the board has allocated Rs 12.80 billion for the upgradation of the three venues. Recently PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi visited BDP Pattern’s London office.
Naqvi met chairman Chris Harding and other senior officials and gave a nod to the renovation of the stadiums after the interactions. The UK-based organisation has constructed around 200 international stadiums across the world.
Wasim Akram critical of Pakistan stadiums
Earlier in the year when a fan questioned former Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram on A Sports “We have seen stadiums like Dharamsala and Queenstown (New Zealand) why is the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) not investing in the infrastructure of stadiums in the northern areas? To which Akram would bluntly reply “We can’t even maintain three stadiums, (Baki kaha naya bana lenge) how could we make a new one?
“(Gaddafi ki chhat dekhi hai) Have you seen the roof of the Gaddafi Stadium that they were showing with the drone? We can’t even control the three we have. We can only dream of making a new one. We have enough area to make a new stadium, though. Abbottabad is a very beautiful ground,” Akram would add.
Will India travel Pakistan for Champions Trophy?
Doubts remain if India will make the trip across the border for the elite 50-overs tournament, which is being held for the first time since 2017.
Thanks to their soured political relations, India have not visited Pakistan since 2008 and the cricket-mad countries play each other only at multi-team events.
Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup last year but eventual winners India were allowed to play all their matches in Sri Lanka under what the organisers called a “hybrid model”.
India said they did not get permission from their government to tour Pakistan for the Asia Cup last year.
