From Abid Usman
LAHORE: With the preparations for Champions Trophy 2025 in full swing, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has justified the board’s initiative to upgrade Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi venues, saying that none of the stadiums in the country meet international standards.
“There’s a huge difference in international stadiums and those of ours […] none of our stadiums are of international standard,” Naqvi said while speaking to the media persons on his visit to review Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium’s upgradation work on Monday.
The PCB chief’s remarks come as the board has decided to renovate Karachi’s National Stadium, Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium along with Lahore’s venue at the cost of Rs12.8 billion ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025 which will be hosted by the aforesaid arenas.Last week, the chairman approved the stadiums’ designs during his visit to BDP Pattern’s, a renowned architectural company based in the United Kingdom, London head office.
Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has also approved a budget of around $70 million for the tournament expected to be held in the February-March window next year. The amount will cover the expenses incurred during the support period which has been scheduled from February 12 to 18.
A day earlier, the board had announced its decision to shift the second Test of the two-match series between Pakistan and Bangladesh from Karachi to Rawalpindi due to ongoing renovations and construction work at the National Stadium. Elaborating on the upgradation project, Naqvi highlighted that the construction work is being carried out at a fast pace and expressed hope that the challenging task will be completed before Champions Trophy 2025.
“The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) team is working day and night. [We] will make our stadiums one of the best in the world […] providing basic facilities in stadiums is [our] first priority,” the PCB chief added.
Commenting on the Pakistan-Bangladesh Test being shifted to Rawalpindi, he said that security agencies had advised them to hold matches without spectators and the decision was made after due consultations and further remarked that more changes can be made in the future as well.
Refuting any lack of coordination, Naqvi also underscored that the board has acquired a building near Gaddafi Stadium which will be converted into a hotel for teams. However, he added, the project is a complicated one and it would become clear in the next 10 days whether it will be completed before next year’s mega event or not.
