In a surprise move, the ICC delegation landed in Karachi to inspect the preparation of stadiums for the upcoming Champions Trophy. The Champions Trophy will start on 19th February and end on 9th March. With the renovation of the stadiums going on, the ICC delegation will review the PCB preparedness with the venues for the upcoming mega event.

 

One of the key infrastructures that the ICC will review is the five-story building under construction in the Karachi stadium. This building will be the epicentre of the operations and crucial infrastructure for the tournament.

Overall, the ICC delegation will conduct a thorough review to ensure that the venues are well-prepared for the Champions Trophy.

 

Third ICC delegation in recent times 

The ICC has sent a third delegation to review the preparedness. The first delegation was led by David Maskell, the ICC's Head of Security. Maskell visited the venues and met with Pakistan cricket board officials to discuss their preparedness for the event. 

 

Operations Sarah Edgar and Manager Aun Zaidi to discuss the needs further with the PCB. This third delegation is headed by Manager Aun Zaidi and Broadcasting Supervisor Mansoor Minch to verify the progress and timeline for the renovation and construction completion, as there are just 40 days remaining for the ICC mega event. 

 

Social media Question Pakistan's preparedness for the Champions Trophy 

A number of videos surfaced on social media about Pakistan’s stadium preparedness for the Champions Trophy, raising concern that the work is far from completion in all three stadiums: Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. In those videos, serious issues were mentioned, including that work related to flood lights, stands, and facilities are far behind schedule. The playing surface is not completed yet, and the basic plaster work has not been completed.

While PCB denied the allegations and said the preparation and renovation for the Champions Trophy will be completed before the deadline

 

Karachi: The third delegation 

Since Karachi is the major venue of the three venues hosting the Champions Trophy, the opening ceremony will be held at the Karachi stadium. Soon after the opening ceremony on the same day, the venue will host a tournament opener between the defending champions, Pakistan and New Zealand. Before the Champions Trophy matches, Karachi will host two of the four matches in the tri-series.

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Schedule

Date	Match	Venue
Feb 19	Pakistan vs New Zealand	Karachi
Feb 20	Bangladesh vs India	Dubai
Feb 21	Afghanistan vs South Africa	Karachi
Feb 22	Australia vs England	Lahore
Feb 23	Pakistan vs India	Dubai
Feb 24	Bangladesh vs New Zealand	Rawalpindi
Feb 25	Australia vs South Africa	Rawalpindi
Feb 26	Afghanistan vs England	Lahore
Feb 27	Pakistan vs Bangladesh	Rawalpindi
Feb 28	Afghanistan vs Australia	Lahore
Mar 1	South Africa vs England	Karachi
Mar 2	New Zealand vs India	Dubai
Mar 4	Semi-final 1	Dubai
Mar 5	Semi-final 2	Lahore
Mar 9	Final	Lahore/Dubai