Newly-elected chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi made a big decision as Pakistan is set to host the much-awaited 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Naqvi, who was elected unopposed as the chairman PCB, has decided to upgrade three major stadiums in the country.
National Bank Stadium Karachi, Gaddafi Stadium Lahore and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will be upgraded massively before the commencement of the ICC tournament in 2025.
During the meeting on Friday, Naqvi ordered the completion of the design plan for the Gaddafi Stadium within three days as the plan is to upgrade the stadium in Lahore in the first phase.
"The upgrade of all three stadiums will be completed before the Champions Trophy," Naqvi said.
In the second phase, Karachi and Pindi’s stadium will be prepared and the renovation will begin.
"In the second phase, the design plan for the upgrade of National Cricket Stadium Karachi and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will be prepared and work will commence," he further added.
"Facilities for cricket fans will be improved in stadiums. According to the need, seating capacity will be increased in stadiums," Naqvi said.
"Facilities in the boxes of Gaddafi Stadium will be improved. The upgrade work will be completed with quality and speed," he concluded.
Remember, the PCB finalised the deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) in December.
The event will mark the return of the ICC Champions Trophy after an eight-year gap since its last occurrence in 2017, which Pakistan won. Some Test-playing nations such as Sri Lanka and West Indies missed out on this global tournament, with Sri Lanka failing to secure a top-eight position in the ICC World Cup 2023 points table.
For the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, a total of eight teams will participate, following the One Day International (ODI) format. The qualification process involved the top seven teams from the ICC ODI World Cup group stage, along with the host nation, Pakistan, securing their positions for this upcoming tournament.
The teams confirmed for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy are:
Pakistan (hosts), India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Afghanistan, England, Bangladesh