Karachi: Renovation and construction of three stadiums in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been done voluntarily and not mandated by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to host the Champions Trophy next year, local media reports confirmed.
Despite spending billions of dollars, the PCB started these projects seven months before the Champions Trophy scheduled for February-March 2025.
A spokesman was quoted in the report saying that the International Criminal Court has considered all three stadiums – Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, National Stadium in Karachi and Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi – suitable for playing, with upgrades to meet international standards.
It should be noted that, although the main construction work continued in the Gaddafi Stadium, the historic entrance was preserved and a new pavilion was built. Meanwhile, preparations are being made to demolish the National Stadium and start work on the Pindi Stadium. The cost of these projects is between three and four billion rupees.
Previously, during Najam Sethi’s tenure as PCB chairman in 2016-17, the National Stadium underwent renovations worth around one billion rupees.
Currently, all the PCB staff offices have been shifted to the National Cricket Academy, while the PCB is awaiting the architectural design from a UK-based firm for the construction of the stadium.
The project poses major challenges for the PCB ahead of the Champions Trophy, especially with the Test series against Bangladesh in August and England in October, which will add to the time pressure.
