The International Cricket Council (ICC) delegation lands in Karachi to inspect the preparations for the much-awaited ICC Champions Trophy 2025. With the tournament starting on February 19, the ICC delegation will conduct an extensive survey of the Karachi National Stadium to ensure everything. is in top form for the big event.
Among the key issues under inspection is the ongoing construction of a five-storey building at the National Stadium, which will be crucial to the tournament's infrastructure. The ICC delegation will also inspect various sections of the stadium to ensure they meet 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 at the same venue, Pakistan will face New Zealand in the tournament opener. Notably, Pakistan enter the mega-event as the defending champions.
Karachi National Stadium will host a total of three thrilling matches during the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. Just 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 visit of the ICC delegation to Karachi is part of a series of important inspections leading up to the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 to be hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in Pakistan and the UAE — only India's matches. on tour.
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 latest and third visit was made by Manager Aun Zaidi along with Broadcasting Supervisor Mansoor Minch to ensure everything is ready before the 2025 Champions Trophy begins.
Well, the countdown to the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy is already on, with the deadline for submitting preliminary squads set for January 12. All eight participating teams must finalize their initial squads by midnight on 11 February and can also make changes to preliminary squads without needing ICC approval until 11 February.
On the other hand, there are growing concerns about the readiness of Pakistan's three major stadiums – Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi – for the tournament.
Videos on social media have shown that the stadiums are far from ready, with reports claiming that work on seats, floodlights, facilities and even playing surfaces is incomplete.
Even the plasterwork remains unfinished, raising doubts about whether the venues will be ready in time for the prestigious tournament. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) dismissed these concerns.
In response, the PCB assured everyone that preparations for the 2025 Champions Trophy are on track and renovations at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and the National Bank Stadium in Karachi are expected to be completed by the stipulated deadlines.