- Tournament to be played across 3 venues in Pakistan, also in Dubai.
- Naqvi calls hosting ICC tournament “matter of pride for Pakistan.”
- Green Shirts will take on New Zealand in first encounter.
Pakistan will host the first major cricket tournament in almost three decades from Wednesday with the Green Shirts, winners of the 2017 edition, taking on New Zealand in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the National Stadium in Karachi.
The first ball of the match will be bowled at 2pm PST.
Pakistan last hosted an ICC event in 1996 — ICC Cricket World Cup 1996, which concluded with the final at the Gaddafi Stadium, where Sri Lanka defeated Australia by seven wickets.
Pakistan became a no-go zone for international sides in 2009 after terrorists attacked a bus carrying Sri Lanka’s team in Lahore, wounding several players and killing eight policemen and civilians. But with a sweeping crackdown that started in 2014 and lasted several years, security has vastly improved in the South Asian nation.
Test cricket returned to Pakistan in 2019 and Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa later toured the country, helping Pakistan´s bid to host the tournament.
The eight-team tournament will be played across three venues in Pakistan – Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi – as well as in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 19 February to 9 March.
The build-up has not been without problems after neighbours and arch-rivals India refused to play in Pakistan over long-standing political tensions. A powerhouse of the sport on and off the pitch, India will instead play their matches in Dubai.
The country has stepped up security, especially in host cities Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, even if attacks in major cities are increasingly rare.
In the lead-up to the ICC Champions Trophy, the three venues in Pakistan – Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, National Stadium Karachi and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium – have undergone major upgrades, offering players and spectators world-class facilities.
“Pakistan is fully prepared to host the Champions Trophy,” said Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi. “International standard facilities will be provided to all the teams. Fans in the stadiums will be given all possible facilities.
“Holding an ICC tournament after 29 years is a matter of pride for Pakistan and we will further raise the honour of the country by successfully hosting the Champions Trophy,” he said in a statement.
The cricket board, in a statement, shared that the highly-anticipated opening ceremony will feature an air show by the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) acrobatic team ‘Sher Dils’ and the iconic F-16 fighter jets, while President Asif Ali Zardari will be the chief guest.
Pakistan’s journey
Pakistan enter the tournament as the defending champions, having beaten India in the final of the 2017 edition. The team was led by Sarfaraz Ahmed. Fakhar Zaman was the player of the final for his imperious 114 off 106 deliveries, while Hasan Ali was named the player of the tournament for his tally of 13 wickets in five games.
The eight participating teams have been divided into two groups with hosts Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and New Zealand pooled in Group A while Group B comprises Afghanistan, current ODI World Cup champions Australia, England and South Africa.
Following their opening encounter against New Zealand, Pakistan will play their next two group matches on February 23 against India in Dubai and on February 27 against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.
In the group stage, three matches apiece will be played in Dubai, Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
The first semi-final will be played on March 4 in Dubai. The newly upgraded Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will host the second semi-final on March 5. If India do not qualify, the final will take place at the Gaddafi Stadium on March 9, however, if they qualify, it will be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Apart from winning the tournament in 2017, Pakistan has also reached the semi-finals of this competition on three occasions: 2000, 2004 and 2009.
“A global event has come to Pakistan after 29 years, so I believe the entire nation is celebrating this historic occasion. There are no doubts about our performance, we have worked hard and learned from our mistakes. We hope that we play well tomorrow Insha’Allah,” said Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan.
“Our sole focus is on winning the tournament for the country and our people and we hope that we achieve the desired results.”
Pakistan’s 15-player squad:
Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wicket-keeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan.
Pakistan’s group stage fixtures in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025:
19 Feb – vs New Zealand, Karachi
23 Feb – vs India, Dubai
27 Feb – vs Bangladesh, Rawalpindi
— With additional input from AFP
