International Cricket Council (ICC) delegation lands in Karachi to review preparations for the much-anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025. With the tournament starting on February 19, the ICC delegation will conduct an extensive inspection of the National Stadium in Karachi to ensure everything is in top shape in shape for a big event.
Among the key aspects under review is the ongoing construction of a five-storey building at the National Stadium, which will be key to the infrastructure of the tournament. The ICC delegation will also inspect various parts of the stadium to ensure it meets the high standards required to host the prestigious 2025 Champions Trophy.
ICC delegation arrives in Karachi for inspection ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2025
In fact, the opening ceremony of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is scheduled to take place at the National Stadium in Karachi on February 19, and on the same day and venue, Pakistan will face New Zealand in the tournament opener. Namely, Pakistan enters the mega event as the defending champions.
Karachi National Stadium will host a total of three exciting matches during the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. Even before the prestigious tournament, the cricket stadium will host two matches of the upcoming Tri-nation One Day International series, excluding the final.
Meanwhile, the ICC delegation’s visit to Karachi is part of a series of important inspections leading up to the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in Pakistan and the UAE—India’s only matches in the tournament.
ICC sends third delegation to Pakistan for inspection
It started with ICC Head of Security, David Maskell, followed by Senior Event Operations Manager Sarah Edgar and Manager Aun Zaidi, who reviewed the preparations. The final and third visit was made by manager Aun Zaidi, along with broadcast supervisor Mansoor Minch, to ensure everything is ready before the 2025 Champions Trophy gets underway.
Well, the countdown to the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy is already on, with the deadline for submission of preliminary squads set for January 12. All eight participating teams must finalize their starting squads by midnight on 11 February and can also make changes to their preliminary squads without needing ICC approval until 11 February.
On the other hand, there are growing concerns about the readiness of three major stadiums in Pakistan – Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi – for the tournament.
Videos on social media showed that the stadiums were far from ready, with reports claiming that work on seats, floodlights, facilities and even playing surfaces had not been completed.
Even the plaster work remained unfinished, raising doubts whether the halls will be ready in time for the prestigious tournament. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) dismissed these concerns.
In response, the PCB has assured everyone that preparations for the 2025 Champions Trophy are underway and the renovation of the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and the National Bank Stadium in Karachi are expected to be completed by the given deadlines.
