- Lahore, Karachi to host Champions Trophy openning events.
- PM Shehbaz and President Zardari expected as chief guests.
- England and Australia to miss opening due to late arrival.
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has finalised plans for the opening ceremonies of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, with multiple events scheduled across different venues, sources told Geo News on Thursday.
According to insiders, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has given his final approval for all related events. The main opening ceremony is set to take place on February 16 at Hazuri Bagh, Lahore, marking the formal commencement of the prestigious tournament.
Additionally, the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will host its own opening ceremony on February 7, while the National Stadium in Karachi will hold an inauguration event on February 11, sources revealed.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to be the chief guest at the Lahore ceremony, while President Asif Ali Zardari is likely to attend the Karachi event as the chief guest.
According to well-informed sources in the International Cricket Council (ICC), the arrival schedules provided by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA) make it impossible for them to participate.
England are due to arrive in Lahore on February 18, while the Australian team is set to land on February 19. Meanwhile, Bangladesh and India are scheduled to reach Dubai on February 15, whereas Afghanistan will reach Islamabad on February 12.
New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa will already be in Pakistan after competing in a tri-nation ODI series in Lahore and Karachi from February 8 to 14.
The opening match between Pakistan and New Zealand is scheduled in Karachi on February 19.
The sources explained that England have chosen to take a break of one week following their month-long tour of India for the white-ball series, which will conclude on February 12, while Australia, which are involved in a two-Test and two-ODI series in Sri Lanka, will finish their assignment in Colombo on February 14 before taking a four-day rest en route to Lahore.
The source also confirmed that due to the late arrivals, both England and Australia have opted out of warm-up matches. Each team is entitled to two warm-up games, but both have agreed to enter the tournament without any practice matches, as they will have just concluded their respective ODI series.
Pakistan will host at least 10 matches of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, while Dubai will host three matches involving India and the first semi-final.
If India do not qualify for the March 9 final, the match will take place at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Otherwise, the final will be held in Dubai.
