29 April,2024 04:50 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Babar Azam (Pic: File Pic)
The Pakistan Cricket Board has finalised Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi as the venues for the Champions Trophy 2025. They continued insisting that the tournament will stay in the country despite the talks of a hybrid model being under consideration for India's participation.
The last season of the Champions Trophy was held in the year 2017 in England and is expected to come into action in February-March next year. The talks have been around the Indian cricket team's participation. If the "Men in Blue" does not get clearance from the government, the International Cricket Council could use the hybrid model to ensure Team India's participation.
The ICC has already made it clear that it will not ask any member nation to defy government policy.
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"We've sent the schedule for the matches in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy," PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said at a press conference in Lahore.
"The ICC's security team came and we had a very good meeting. They looked at arrangements here and we'll also share stadium upgrade plans with them.
"We are trying to ensure we host a very good tournament in Pakistan," Naqvi informed. The PCB has been steadfast in insisting that the tournament will not be altered in any way to accommodate India.
The 'Hybrid Model' of hosting was used in the Asia Cup last year. The Asian Cricket Council, headed by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, held India's matches in Sri Lanka even though Pakistan was the official host of the tournament.
Naqvi also conceded that the condition of all three proposed venues is currently sub-standard in terms of hosting international games of cricket.
"If you look at Gaddafi (here), it is good but the viewing experience is not great for cricket. Football maybe, not cricket," Naqvi said.
"We need to improve facilities in the stadiums, where there are some old problems. Karachi is in bad shape. So on May 7, we will finalise bids from international companies who will come and help us design.
"We are already late but we need to do these upgrades in four-five months. It will be a very tough test but we can do it.", Naqvi concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)
